3 reasons why the Chicago Cubs should not trade Cody Bellinger

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For weeks now, Chicago Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger has been linked to trade rumors with the August 1st trade deadline right around the corner. There will be plenty of offers for Bellinger, but the Cubs front office should refuse them all and do the opposite by giving him a long-term extension. Here are three reasons why the Cubs would be fools to trade Cody Bellinger.

1. He's the best hitter on the team

Part of the reason that the Cubs went on a massive cold streak in May is because Bellinger went down with a hip injury that sidelined him for a month. During that stretch without Bellinger, the Cubs went 11-16. I'm not saying there's a direct correlation there, but there is no denying that this lineup looks way worse without Bellinger in there.

Not to mention the fact that Bellinger's batting average is currently over .300 with a full slash line of .302/.357/.518. According to Fangraphs, Bellinger also has the second-best wRC+ on the team at 133 and his 2.3 WAR is second only to Dansby Swanson. Bellinger's presence in this lineup is a literal game-changer.

2. The Cubs have the money to extend him

According to Spotrac, the Cubs currently have a payroll of $183 million, which is significantly lower than the luxury tax threshold of $233 million. And next year it will be even lower with Jason Heyward's massive contract finally coming off the books. Not to mention Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks could get moved as well, hypothetically saving the team somewhere in the range of $40 million.

Even if those contracts don't get moved, the Cubs have wiggle room right now to take on a Cody Bellinger extension. Which would probably figure in the $20-25 million a year average annual value. And I say pay him what he wants because the guy is not only a great hitter, but fans love him.

With Marquee Network and the Draft King's Sportsbook in full swing, there should be no more talk of "biblical losses" from ownership and they need to prove to the fans that they're serious about competing again. I can think of no better way than getting a Bellinger extension done.

3. Bellinger's talents are not easy to acquire

There is already a serious lack of power on this Cubs team with Christopher Morel and Cody Bellinger seemingly the only ones capable of getting close to 25+ home runs this year. He's also the only consistent left-handed hitter on the team. The only one who can hit for power anyway. Ian Happ has been very up and down this year, Mike Tauchman is a replacement-level player, and Tucker Barnhart and Miles Mastrobuoni are just bad hitters.

Not to mention there aren't a lot of great hitters who are set to hit free agency this year. And the farm system isn't exactly flush with lefty bats. Matt Mervis has been great in Triple A but he hasn't figured out how to succeed against big-league pitching yet. Unless the Cubs plan on making a run at Shohei Ohtani, lefty power is scarce right now.

Bellinger's agent Scott Boras said that it's not every day a 27-year-old former MVP, rookie of the year, and World Series champion walks through the door. And I couldn't agree more. That's why I don't see the logic in moving Bellinger because he's the type of hitter you need not only now but also when the team returns to the playoffs. He's a proven big-league player and trading him for more lottery ticket prospects is kind of foolish especially because he's still on the rights side of 30 years old.

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