Chicago Cubs: Are the stars aligning for a Cody Bellinger return?

The Chicago Cubs front office has probably been making plans and developing strategies for life without Kyle Tucker since the second half of 2025.

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On Sunday, the four-time All-Star right fielder officially became a free agent, drifting off into the deep end of the open market, where the financial waters are filled with front office predators much more aggressive and daring than the Cubs.

So, yeah, unless some sort of monumental shift in reality takes place over the next couple months, Tucker is gone. With an expected price tag of $400+ million over 10 years, there’s almost zero chance of the Cubs ownership signing off on a contract like that. Most likely, he’ll be scooped up by the Great White Shark of deep sea baseball predators, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kyle Tucker is gone, likely LA-bound

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Per MLB insider David Brown of Deadspin:

“The Dodgers have been linked to Tucker ever since the postseason began, and it makes a lot of sense for both sides. Tucker, who is said to be seeking at least $400 million, figured to drive the free-agent market. The Dodgers have more money than any other team, plus a willingness to spend it. They also have a need in the right field, evident since Mookie Betts moved to shortstop.”

So, where does that leave the Cubs?

Prevailing logic has Chicago returning Seiya Suzuki to right field, with rookie Owen Caissie getting every opportunity to eventually win that spot for himself. A stopgap veteran free agent could also be acquired as single-season insurance.

Slightly outside-the-box thinking, however, has the Cubs exploring a reunion with another multi-tool player who was their right fielder right before they traded for Tucker.

Bringing Cody Bellinger back?

Cody Bellinger just turned down his $25 million player option after a solid bounce back year with the New York Yankees and has joined Tucker in free agency.

Bellinger, who will be 31 in July, hit 29 home runs last season in New York, driving in 98 runs, while stealing 13 bases and playing four positions. He was traded by the Cubs to the Yankees for nondescript pitcher Cody Poteet (who was later traded away to the Orioles for cash considerations) shortly after the Tucker trade with the Astros was confirmed. It was a straight salary dump of $27 million for Chicago in pursuit of, presumably, an upgrade at right.

Now, it might make sense to explore bringing Bellinger back.

On paper, the reunion makes a lot of sense. Bellinger is a Gold Glove-caliber defender in right field and at first base. He could also fill in for Pete Crow-Armstrong in center to give the burgeoning superstar some much-needed rest over the course of a long season. There’s, apparently, no bad blood when it comes to having been traded, either.

Obstacles to the reunion

The biggest and most obvious obstacle to a Cubs-Bellinger reunion is a financial one.

If Bellinger turned down $25 million for 2026, it’s because he’s looking for more elsewhere. He’ll also be looking for a longer guaranteed contract, possibly in the 5-7 year range.

The Cubs, perhaps rightly, will turn their backs on the idea of paying Kyle Tucker $400 million over 10 years. They’d also most likely turn their backs on the idea of paying Bellinger about $180 million over 6 years.

It would be nice to have Bellinger penciled into the right field spot. He might even be a defensive upgrade from Tucker, who had a rough year in right, registering -2 Outs Above Average (OAA) on the season, per Statcast. Offensively, they wouldn’t be losing too much, either, especially considering Tucker’s injuries and his brutal late season extended slump.

But, realistically, Bellinger back to the Cubs is fan fiction at this point. With cheaper in-house options available to them, Chicago is probably just going to roll the dice on Suzuki/Caissie and hope for the best.

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Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-cody-bellinger-kyle-tucker