4 quotes Cubs fans will love to hear from the Cody Bellinger press conference

Cody Bellinger hears the criticisms over his batted ball metrics

There were two big arguments Bellinger detractors pointed to when arguing against giving him a long-term deal: 1) his checkered injury history in his final years with the Dodgers and 2) soft batted ball metrics that didn't exactly back up his bounceback performance in 2023.

Boras tackled both criticisms head-on, reminding everyone both of his injuries were very flukey and telling reporters to go look at Bellinger's batted ball metrics based on counts. When he was ahead in the count, he was still hitting the ball hard. But when he found himself in pitcher's counts, he shortened up and focused on contact last year.

Bellinger himself repeatedly emphasized the confidence he has in his game and stressed he wasn't putting too much stock in the concerns over his batted ball numbers from a season ago.

"I hear it and kind of brush it off," said Bellinger. "There are a lot of different variables that go into it and not to look at one certain stat to dictate a whole season."

At the end of the day, Bellinger produced - and that's what matters. Now, he'll get the chance to re-address both of these concerns in 2024. If he does, he could assuage fears about giving him a long-term deal and cash in big-time in free agency next winter, which would be a best-case scenario for both he and the Cubs.