Obviously it wouldn’t mean there’s a good outcome in either case, but it would be fun if the Cubs were one of two finalists on a number of the top-available players this offseason.
That was the speculated possibility on Shohei Ohtani (with the Dodgers still the heavy favorite), and now Jon Heyman offers it on Cody Bellinger, too:
Heyman reiterates that Cody Bellinger loved his time in Chicago, something we’ve heard before as a real factor in this process. He notes, too, that the Giants are a good fit and may be involved, but feels it’s going to come down to the Cubs and Yankees.
What’s particularly interesting here is that Heyman often has a lot to say about Scott Boras clients, of which Bellinger is one. I’m a bit surprised, then, that Boras might not let Heyman know that there are A TON of interested teams (or whatever), and thus it would be hard to speculate that it could come down to just two.
To be sure, this is just guesswork from Heyman, but it is guesswork informed by the things he’s heard so far this offseason. You almost get the sense that the Yankees are the most interested and eager TEAM on Bellinger, whereas the Cubs are the most attractive team TO BELLINGER. If each of those things is true, then it would make sense for them to be the two finalists, no?