Breaking: Under-the-Radar Team Enter Mix for Chicago Cubs’ Key Player

The Chicago Cubs have been a hot team in the MLB rumor mill so far this winter, and Cody Bellinger has been one of the names mentioned the most.

To begin the offseason, he had a decision to make about his future.

He had the option to opt out of his deal and test free agency, but he chose to return to the Cubs for another year.

Following that decision, trade rumors have started to swirl around him.

Bellinger could very well end up sticking with Chicago and be a key piece of the lineup, however, if the right trade offer comes up, it seems possible that Jed Hoyer would move him.

Cameron Zunkel of Just Baseball has taken a look at potential destinations for the star slugger if the Cubs actually are interested in trading him.

One team mentioned was the Toronto Blue Jays.

The fit would make sense, as the Blue Jays are trying to make one more run at it with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, so bringing in Bellinger would give them more offensive firepower, which has been a major need.

“The Blue Jays outfield consists of Daulton Varsho, who is an elite fielder as he just won his first Gold Glove award. George Springer is coming off his worst professional season, so it is going to be interesting to see if he bounces back in 2025. Nonetheless, Bellinger would be an everyday starter in one of the outfield positions in Toronto.”

During the 2024 MLB season, Bellinger struggled with some injury issues.

He ended up having a down year, which hurt his value on the market.

He ended up playing in 130 regular season games, batting .266/.325/.426 to go along with 18 home runs and 78 RBI.

Even though he had a down performance, the 29-year-old star was still productive and he’s more than capable of being a focal point of a lineup.

Outside of the Blue Jays, Zunkel suggested the Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners as possible trade destinations.

All three of those teams could make Chicago intriguing offers.

As for the Cubs, they would need to figure out a way to go out and replace Bellinger if they do ship him out of town.

Hoyer is tasked with getting Chicago back to the playoffs, but they’ll need to get aggressive and make some major improvements in order to accomplish that goal.

Trading away Bellinger could make sense depending on the deal, but replacing his ability to make an impact offensively could be difficult.