NEWSLETTER
Ultimately, I don’t see much happening on the Cody Bellinger trade front until the free agent outfield market gets moving, and that won’t happen until Juan Soto signs. That said, he could choose his team by next week’s Winter Meetings, and then if the rumors are true about the Cubs aggressively trying to trade Bellinger, maybe we see some movement.
To that end, MLBTradeRumors contemplated some possible trade fits for Bellinger, if the Cubs decide to move him (which, for the record, I’ve got some concerns about them doing, unless they bring in a comparable bat some other way … which seems pretty hard to see … ).
Among the best possible fits for a Cody Bellinger trade, MLBTR discusses the Astros, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Yankees, all of which make sense given their roster needs, their expected free agent pursuits, and their ability add Bellinger’s contract. There are some longer shots discussed as well, and in that group I would say the Angels do make some sense given their outfield composition.
Once Soto signs, I think you do have to keep a close watch on the Yankees and the Phillies, in particular.
That said, the MLBTR discussion of the Astros really caught my eye because of the proposed swap. I found it at least worth a conversation:
“The Astros currently have bigger fish to fry as they attempt to retain franchise third baseman Alex Bregman. With Houston self-admittedly requiring some “creativity” to add salary, it seems likely that a Bregman reunion could leave the club without the funds necessary to deal for Bellinger. With that said, though, Bellinger’s ability to play all three outfield spots and first base should make him an attractive option for Houston that would allow them to play match-ups with Jon Singleton, Jake Meyers, and Chas McCormick by slotting Bellinger in at the position of whichever player is on the bench that day. What’s more, the Cubs’ need for bullpen help this winter and their hesitance to commit to long-term deals for relievers could make veteran reliever Ryan Pressly an attractive target for them in terms of a return while also clearing $14MM off the Astros’ books to facilitate other additions.”
To be clear, I am NOT saying I want to see the Cubs move Cody Bellinger for pure salary relief, or in a deal that is otherwise primarily motivated by finances. However, if the Cubs were able to trade Bellinger in a deal that was palatable financially WHILE ALSO netting them a player they actually need, then it’s a good move.
Would Bellinger for Pressly be that move? Well, maybe not. At least not straight up. Although he was dominant at his peak, Pressly has seen some pretty clear regression the last couple years and has pitched more like a very good reliever rather than a top-tier setup man (3.54 ERA, 86 ERA-, 25.8% K, 6.6% BB). He’s about to turn 36, too, so you can’t rule out a more dramatic fall-off in 2025.
That isn’t to say you wouldn’t take Pressly in your bullpen. You of course would. I’m sure the Cubs would love to have him if he came cheaply enough. And if they are as desperate to move Bellinger as the rumors indicated, well, maybe this is the kind of move they would consider.
I tend to think Bellinger on his current deal (two years and $52.5 million, opt out in the middle) has more value than Pressly does on his current deal (one year at $14 million). So you could argue that a swap would need a little more from the Astros to make sense, but you could make that work if you really wanted to put something together.
For me, since I’m not as eager as the Cubs to move Bellinger in the first place, I wouldn’t be sprinting to go this route. I could understand why the Cubs might, though; maybe with some other pitcher in the mix, even if not not Pressly specifically.
Good read at MLBTR. I expect these kinds of discussions to pick up over the next two weeks.
