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The Toronto Blue Jays have been no strangers to rumors suggesting a top free agent is en route to Toronto.
After the circus that was the misreporting that Shohei Ohtani was on a flight to Toronto on Friday, there likely will be caution in rumors moving forward. Reports over the weekend suggested that Ohtani's camp may have misinformed reports that the superstar was on a flight to Toronto as a way to drive up the final offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani was never en route to Toronto on Friday and on Saturday, the 2023 American League MVP announced that he will be signing with the Dodgers.
There was an expectation that the Blue Jays may pivot for former Chicago Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger. Confirmation of their interest in Bellinger may have been confirmed in an Instagram post by Bellinger's fiancée on Sunday. Assuming Bellinger's fiancée is in Toronto, it's safe to say that Bellinger is as well.
That was the fear for Cubs fans once the Blue Jays missed on Ohtani. The Blue Jays remain in the middle of their contention window and need a left-handed power bat. With Bellinger now in a position where he is the best hitter remaining on the free-agent market, there was an expectation that the Blue Jays would shift their focus to the 2023 National League Comeback Player of the Year.
If the Cubs do lose out on Bellinger, it may be a difficult path for the team to improve their offense from last season. The Cubs are a worse team now than they were at the end of last season and if Bellinger does not return, there would be serious questions about whether or not they will be a post-season contender once the 2024 season starts.
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