Cubs eyeing second chance to sign Shohei Ohtani،
CHICAGO — If only the designated hitter rule had been introduced to the National League before 2022. It could have changed the course of Japanese star Shohei Ohtani’s career — as well as the trajectory of the Chicago Cubs. At least that’s what the Cubs thought when they pursued him in 2017, before he signed with the Los Angeles Angels.
“It was clear he wanted to do both [hitting and pitching]and DHing was the best option for that,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said last week during the general managers’ meetings. “As good as the meeting was with him, we always knew that It would be a difficult climb.”
The Cubs were one of seven finalists for Ohtani’s services at the time — and one of two not located on the West Coast. At the time, Chicago was in the midst of a winning window, having made the NLCS three straight seasons and winning a World Series championship in 2016.
“Things were progressing pretty well at that point,” Hoyer said. “I think he was intrigued.”
The Cubs too.
Ohtani, now the largest free agent in sports history, is deciding where he wants to play next, and the Cubs are once again interested in courting him, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Ohtani is expected to win his second American League Most Valuable Player award when the winners are announced Thursday night. Everyone knew he could pitch, but what he’s done at the plate over the past six seasons has been eye-opening – to fans and management alike.
“There was no question about his abilities on the mound,” Hoyer recalled. “The offensive part of his game has been underestimated.”
There will be plenty of competition for Ohtani this winter, but at least Chicago has the DH to offer this time around. He also just hired highly respected manager Craig Counsell to take over an 83-win team that narrowly missed the playoffs in 2023. Plus, the team has a payroll that’s coming off the books in the form of Jason Heyward ($21 million) and Cody Bellinger ($17.5 million). million), leaving money for a massive deal. The Cubs were below the luxury tax threshold in 2023, ranking 11thth in the payroll, making it a little less undesirable to exceed it, if necessary.
The time could finally be right for a Cubs-Ohtani union.
“Ohtani would literally own Wrigley Field,” one National League scout joked about his potential salary. “He would own Chicago, that’s for sure.”
What Ohtani’s pursuit means for Bellinger
Bellinger has been a success story in 2023. Signed to a one-year deal by Chicago before the season, he earned a Silver Slugger Award, as well as Comeback Player of the Year honors after compiling a 133 OPS+. And he played excellent defense, both in center field and at first base. He accomplished what he set out to do when he came to Chicago: rebuild his value and return to free agency.
“There’s a lot of interest in Cody Bellinger,” his agent, Scott Boras, said recently. “Cody has had a great experience in Chicago. He can play well anywhere. A lot of it has to do with the ownership. A lot of it has to do with their commitment.”
The Cubs appear intent on spending money this offseason, especially after signing Counsell to a five-year, $40 million contract, a record for a manager.
“I quickly saw that the organization is in excellent health,” Counsell said. “There’s a dynamic happening here.”
But while an Ohtani and Bellinger duo would be a dream scenario for fans, it’s unlikely. Multiple sources believe the Cubs are more likely to sign Ohtani than bring back Bellinger in his own massive deal.
“I think Bellinger is pretty much gone,” a source familiar with the matter said early in the offseason.
Circumstance and history are two reasons the Cubs and Bellinger might not reunite. First, there will likely be teams that aren’t in the mix for Ohtani and will be desperate for the best left-handed bat available. The New York Yankees were interested in Bellinger at the trade deadline and will be again, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Toronto Blue Jays are also missing a dangerous left-handed hitter. The San Francisco Giants are also among Bellinger’s suitors.
Under Hoyer and owner Tom Ricketts, the Cubs have been measured in their dealings with free agents. Putting Ohtani aside, the organization isn’t one to get into bidding wars. And this will not be the case for Bellinger, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Another side of the story involves Boras and Ricketts personally. They don’t have the type of relationship where the agent can pick up the phone and negotiate with the owner like Boras has done in other situations.
Note: The Cubs haven’t signed a multi-year contract with a Boras client in a very long time. This includes players on the free agent market, those they drafted who won an MVP (Kris Bryant) or those they traded for who won a Cy Young Award (Jake Arrieta). They all moved on. Bellinger probably will too.
Boras was asked if the timing of a deal with Bellinger had anything to do with Ohtani, who is represented by another agency.
“Bellinger is a position player, Shohei is a DH, so those asking platforms are very different,” Boras said. “The teams that approach Cody are teams that want him to play every day on the field. They may go for a DH. And Cody, but their [paths] do not cross for this reason.
Ohtani is not the only missing piece
Whether Ohtani becomes a Cub or not, the team has other holes to fill, including potentially at first and third base, as well as its starting pitcher. They can tap into their farm system for a trade, if necessary, as it is stronger than it has ever been, ranking second in the latest analysis from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
The team also has power infielder/flyer Christopher Morel playing first base during winter ball in an effort to find him a home around the diamond. If the New York Mets made Pete Alonso available for a trade, the Cubs could be a fit, with Morel as the center fielder in return, according to sources familiar with their thinking.
But Alonso recently changed agents to Boras – who is also the agent of San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto. Both players will be free agents after 2024, and while a trade-and-sign deal for either player seems reasonable, it’s unlikely.
“I don’t think any player wants to play in an organization they don’t know,” Boras said. “It’s par for the course.”
In other words, playing out the year and then testing the free agent waters is more than likely for Alonso and Soto — unless they join their current teams. New Mets president David Stearns also said he expects Alonso to be his starting first baseman on Opening Day — although a lot could change between now and then.
At third base, a Cubs reunion with veteran Jeimer Candelario does not appear likely, according to a source familiar with the matter. Interest in Candelario should be high after a career-type year, with Toronto and his former team, Washington, already showing some. Former second baseman Nick Madrigal played admirably at third for the Cubs when healthy last season, but he’s probably not the everyday option moving forward.
The Cubs are also going after Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga – the latter of whom previously spent time in Chicago – according to sources familiar with the matter. They also have their eye on Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes in case the Brewers start subtracting — and Milwaukee is willing to trade with the team that just stole its manager. The Cubs would like to acquire a starter after Marcus Stroman recently opted out of his contract – although young pitchers are a sudden force for the organization. Minor league right-hander Cade Horton could become the best pitcher in baseball next year, according to McDaniel.
But the big fish remains Ohtani. Like all of its contenders so far, the Cubs are keeping their strategy close to the vest.
“It didn’t surprise me in the end he picked an AL team,” Hoyer said of the 2017 drawing, “but I wish I could go back and try again.”
Sometimes second chances never materialize, but six years after first trying to woo him, the Cubs are getting another chance.
