Chicago Cubs are bringing in a former NL MVP to play outfield

The Chicago Cubs are clearly a team trying to make some splashes in free agency. Well, they made their first one of the Winter Meetings by bringing in Cody Bellinger who has spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2019, Bellinger won the National League MVP because he was so great. He is also a 2020 World Series Champion in addition to being a multi-time National League All-Star. Unfortunately, the last few years haven’t been as kind to him.

He kind of went from being an MVP-caliber player to being a bottom-tier player in the span of a few years. As a result, the Los Angeles Dodgers failed to find room for their former MVP and they let him go via a non-tender.

He searched for a new team and now he is with the Chicago Cubs on a one-year “prove it” deal. He is going to hit free agency again in 2023 after what he hopes is a great year with the Cubs. This gives the Cubs some more options in the outfield.

The addition of Cody Bellinger will certainly help the Chicago Cubs in 2023.

You’d think that as of now, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki will be out there with him which will make for a very good trio. If they sign a great infielder or two, they are going to be a competitive team in the National League Central.

It might take a while for them to catch up to the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies but they might be on their way. They are at least trying hard to get back to being a winning team after some really down years.

If nothing else, they are bringing in someone who has a wealth of experience which is lacking on their current roster. It is a very young group that could use some good leadership and Bellinger brings that right away.

If he comes in and has a great year, the Cubs will be the biggest beneficiaries along with Bellinger himself. This is a very low-risk/high-reward move for the Cubs as they try to get back to the top f the NL Central.