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The question on every Chicago Cubs fan's mind lately is when they will see their team make a significant splash in free agency. With a recent report from Jon Heyman tonight suggesting the Toronto Blue Jays could focus their attention now on Cody Bellinger after missing out on Shohei Ohtani, the anxiety grows even further in Chicago in Jed Hoyer will be willing to bring a key player into the fold and field a competitive team in 2024, whether it's Bellinger or not.
It shouldn't be any surprise that the Blue Jays will pivot toward Bellinger. They need a left-handed power bat as much as the Cubs do. They are in complete win-now mode. The good news is that the Bellinger sweepstakes should be just the Blue Jays and Cubs. San Francisco landed Jung Hoo Lee, the Yankees traded for Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo, and the Dodgers grabbed Shohei Ohtani and are now eyeing Yoshinobu Yamamoto after landing Tyler Glasnow via trade.
As long as Jed Hoyer offers Bellinger a respectable contract that competes with Toronto's offer, Bellinger should be a Cub. Heyman even noted in his article that Bellinger loved his time in Chicago. We're also aware both sides would love a reunion. What's important to keep in mind is that whatever happens with Bellinger, there are still multiple paths to success that Hoyer envisions. There are scenarios that we may be aware of, and more than likely, numerous ideas within the front office that we have yet to catch wind of because the man works in secrecy.
We're here in mid-December with several months to go in the offseason, and there are still multiple key names in free agency and in the trade market where the Cubs are almost sure to make a splash. Fans are getting this worried about nobody getting signed, yet it is an illogical train of thought.
I can understand being excited about where the team is heading this season and in the near future, so much so that it makes you impatient while waiting, but Hoyer needs to be trusted here. The man has revamped the Cubs' farm system in just 2,5 seasons and nearly missed the postseason in 2023. There's no way imaginable the team won't add this winter, even if it takes longer than we want. Even if the Cubs do miss on Bellinger, there are still quite a few players available in free agency or trade that help steer the ship toward contention:
Pitchers:
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Blake Snell
Jordan Montgomery
Shota Imanaga
Shane Bieber
Dylan Cease
Corbin Burnes
Mike Clevinger
Michael Wacha
Hitters:
Cody Bellinger
Matt Chapman
Rhys Hoskins
Justin Turner
J.D. Martinez
Jorge Soler
Joc Pederson
The point is to trust the process and let Hoyer do his job. The Cubs lineup and starting rotation will look more different on Opening Day than we realize. The Cubs have multiple prospects at their disposal to utilize via trade. As seen with the Craig Counsell signing, things tend to happen with little to zero warning. Expect moves from the front office soon.