There is 'widespread belief' Cody Bellinger will re-sign with the Chicago Cubs

Scott Boras is perfectly content waiting into the spring on big-name clients and Jed Hoyer refuses to bid against himself in what's viewed as a light market for Cody Bellinger. The end result? February is right around the corner and the NL Comeback Player of the Year remains unsigned.

The good news, though, if you're a Cubs fan anxiously awaiting the signing of a big bat, is that there is 'widespread belief' throughout the game that Bellinger and the Cubs will eventually reunite this offseason - 'if and when' his asking price, rumored to be north of $200 million, comes down.

"Then there are the Cubs, who must still be viewed as favorites to bring Bellinger back to the North Side. Chicago hasn’t done anything to this point to replace his bat in the lineup, but with few teams making an aggressive push for Bellinger, the Cubs front office has shown great restraint, not wanting to bid against itself to get Bellinger signed."

Mark Feinsand, MLB.com

Cubs have no choice but to add Cody Bellinger - or a comparable bat - to the middle of the order if they want to contend in 2024

Without Bellinger or someone comparable to replace him, there is a gaping hole in the middle of Chicago's order heading into 2024. One hopes that Christopher Morel continues to make adjustments and produce at the plate and that rookie Michael Busch hits the ground running, but right now, you're asking a lot of the young guys.

Rookie Pete Crow-Armstrong stands to open the year in center, adding another unproven bat to the mix. Re-signing Bellinger or adding someone like Matt Chapman isn't a commodity at this point, but a necessity, if the Cubs want to be serious contenders in a vastly improved National League Central.

On a one-year, prove-it deal with Chicago last season, Bellinger returned to form in a big way, posting a 133 OPS+, racking up 4.4 bWAR and playing elite defense in the outfield and at first. But given the brutal three-year stretch that followed his monster years early in his career, it looks like interested suitors are proceeding with a great deal of caution.

His subpar batted ball metrics aren't doing him any favors, either - but, in the end, he produced. And you can bet that's the argument Boras is making for the 28-year-old former MVP and Rookie of the Year. If the Cubs refuse to budge, Feinsand also mentioned the Blue Jays, Angels, Giants, Mets and Mariners as potential landing spots.