Centerfielder Cody Bellinger is off the free-agent market. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Bellinger is set to return to the Chicago Cubs, agreeing to a three-year, $80 million contract with the franchise.

According to Passan, Bellinger will receive an opt-out in each of the first two years of his deal, allowing him to hit the free agent market once again if he wishes to do so. He will earn $30 million in 2024 and 2025, while the last year of the contract comes with a $20 million salary.

After a down season in 2022 and being let go by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger inked a one-year deal with the Cubs. He enjoyed a bounce-back campaign, having a career-best batting average of .307 and adding 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a career-high 20 stolen bases in 130 games. Bellinger received votes for the NL MVP award while being recognized as the NL Comeback Player of the Year at the end of the season.

Bellinger was considered to be among the top free agents this winter, but his market never actually took off as he and his agent, Scott Boras, envisioned. Teams were reportedly cautious due to his previous dips in form, and with a lack of suitable offers, Bellinger opted to get a flexible contract with the Cubs.

Bellinger spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Dodgers. He is a two-time All-Star and has an NL MVP award from 2019. The Scottsdale, Arizona native also has a World Series win with the Dodgers in 2020.

The post Cody Bellinger Agrees to a 3-Year, $80 Million Deal With the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

With the New York Mets looking like they are heading towards a painful rebuild, All-Star slugger Pete Alonso is looking for a way out. According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Alonso is evaluating his options and already has the Chicago Cubs as his preferred destination.

Alonso is entering the last year of his contract with the Mets and is set to become a free agent after the 2024 campaign. If the Mets end up deciding that they are not willing to give him a huge deal, they will likely look to trade the 28-year-old player in order to avoid losing him for nothing.  

Several teams are reportedly interested in his services, but the Cubs are seen as the favorite. The franchise received information that Alonso wants to come to Chicago and is willing to be aggressive in attempts to acquire him.

Rogers, who spoke about Alonso’s situation during an appearance on ESPN’s Kap and J. Hood show, said that the player would also be willing to work out a contract extension with the Cubs that would work for both sides.

“They have a pretty good team, and a great market,” Rogers added. “I think that he wants to come here as much as they want him.”

Despite the Mets’ disappointing 2023 campaign, Alonso played well and earned his third All-Star nod. He finished the season with a .217 batting average, 46 homers and 118 RBIs.

The post Mets’ All-Star Slugger Pete Alonso Reportedly Wants to Play for the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have reportedly agreed to extend their standout second baseman Nico Hoerner. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Hoerner will ink a three-year deal that is valued at $35 million.

By giving Hoerner an early deal, Cubs have bought out one of his free-agency years. The 25-year-old was previously set to have two arbitration-eligible years after 2023 and was set to hit free agency before the 2026 MLB season.

The deal helps the Cubs lock in one of their most exciting young players and someone that they believe is the future of the franchise. The franchise has allowed several high-profile players to depart in recent years and is probably looking to change that trend.

Hoerner, on the other hand, gets financial security in the coming years while still positioning himself to enter free agency in the prime of his career. This was likely the key factor for the player, as he struggled with injuries earlier in his career and failed to play more than 50 games in the majors until 2022.

Nico Hoerner made his debut in MLB in 2019, one year after being selected in the first round by the Cubs. He played a total of 247 games in the past four seasons, batting .277 with 13 home runs and 101 RBIs.

The post Cubs and 2B Nico Hoerner Agree to 3-Year, $35 Million Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

All-Star catcher Willson Contreras saw a lot of success during his seven seasons with the Chicago Cubs. But despite this, the veteran believes that his new team, the St. Louis Cardinals, are “a better organization.”

Contreras left the Cubs this offseason to sign a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the Cardinals. And while he is yet to play an official game for the franchise, he is already happy with his choice.

“For me, I like this better. It’s a better organization. Old school way, which I love it,” Contreras told Bally Sports Midwest when asked about the differences between the Cardinals and the Cubs. “Ever since I got here it’s been everything just one way. The Cardinal way.”

Willson Contreras joined the Cubs organization in 2009 as a teenager from Venezuela. He made his way through the team’s farm system to get his MLB debut in 2016 and went on to become one of the franchise’s most important players. During his time in Chicago, he made three All-Star appearances and was part of the Cubs’ team that won the World Series in 2016.

Despite this, the Cubs reportedly explored ways to trade Contreras in recent seasons as part of their rebuild. This obviously rubbed Contreras the wrong way, as well as the fact that Chicago didn’t make a significant effort to keep him once he hit the free agency. 

The post All-Star Catcher Willson Contreras: Cardinals are “Better Organization” Than the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Sources confirmed on Sunday that the Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing a seven-year, $177 million deal with free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. This deal is expected to include a full no-trade clause.

After hitting .277 with a .776 OPS for the Atlanta Braves last season over the course of 162 games, Swanson is expected to become a key member of the Cubs’ rebuilding effort as they look to challenge for another World Series title. As the reigning Gold Glove winner with a Championship ring to his name, Swanson will be a key source of experience for the Cubs over the coming season.

The $177 million agreement for Swanson is set to be the largest deal concluded by the Cubs since 2016, when they signed outfielder Jason Heyward on an eight-year, $184 million contract.

While Swanson’s arrival in Chicago will go a long way to building the Cubs’ defensive capabilities, the team’s offense will still be in need of some repair. In addition to being in need of a left-hander, the Cubs are also in the market for a new catcher following the departure of Willson Contreras.

The post Dansby Swanson to Join Cubs on $177 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs and their All-Star catcher Willson Contreras managed to get a deal done before their scheduled arbitration hearing next Tuesday. According to ESPN, Contreras inked a new contract that will pay him $9.625 million in 2022.

Contreras and the Cubs met halfway, considering that the player asked $10.25 million salary while the organization submitted a $9 million offer for arbitration. The two sides hammered out a deal despite Chicago’s president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer saying earlier in 2022 that the team intends to go to a hearing.

The Cubs will be happy to keep Contreras, considering that the 30-year-old player is having one of his best seasons as a pro. He played 47 games so far in 2022 and is currently hitting .277 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs. Unfortunately, this isn’t helping his team much as Chicago is currently fourth in NL Central with a 23-33 record.

Willson Contreras spent his entire career with the Chicago Cubs, who gave him his major league debut in 2016. He made two All-Star appearances and was part of the team that won the first World Series for the Cubs since 1908. Contreras’ MLB stats include a .260 batting average, 105 homers, and 333 RBIs.  

The post Cubs and All-Star Willson Contreras Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a $9.625 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have tapped into the Cleveland Indians’ front office in order to find their new general manager. The team confirmed on Friday that their new GM would be Carter Hawkins, who comes to Chicago after previously serving as the Indians’ assistant general manager.

The Cubs were without a GM for almost a year, with the position becoming vacant after Jed Hoyer was promoted to president of baseball operations in November. Hoyer was the one leading the lengthy search for his successor and eventually settled on Hawkins as the best option.

“I am thrilled to bring Carter into our organization,” Hoyer said in a statement. “He has earned a fantastic reputation as a leader through hard work, open-mindedness, humility, and intelligence.”

Hawkins joined the Indians in 2008 as an advance scouting intern and worked his way up through the organization’s ranks quickly. He became assistant director of player development two years later before getting promoted to director of player development in 2014. The 37-year-old served as Cleveland’s assistant general manager since 2016.

The Chicago Cubs had a disappointing campaign in 2021, finishing with a 71-91 record. This was their worst outing since 2013, when they went 66-96.

The post Cubs Hire Carter Hawkins as New General Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one-year contract with free agent starting pitcher Trevor Williams, adding an arm that will in all likelihood become a member of the team’s starting pitching rotation in the 2021 season.

The Cubs are very familiar with Williams, as the 28-year-old pitcher spent the past five seasons pitching for their NL Central rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Williams was designated for assignment and opted for free agency earlier this offseason.

Williams’s new deal will reportedly pay him $3 million, making him a low-risk option for a Cubs rotation that appears thin after the departures of Jose Quintana and Jon Lester.

The San Diego native was a solid mid-rotation starter for the Buccos in 2017 and 2018, posting a 3.55 ERA over 321 innings during those two seasons.

He did, however, struggle in a 2019 season that saw his ERA balloon to 5.38. Those issues continued and even got worse in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, as Williams’s ERA jumped to 6.18 in 11 starts.

Chicago will now hope that they will be able to coax the good version of Williams back out after his struggles over the past two seasons and add a stabilizing, veteran presence to its rotation for the upcoming season.

The post Cubs Add RHP Trevor Williams to Bolster Pitching Staff appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have finally made a big free agency addition following a series of notable exits this offseason. According to multiple reports, the Cubs have agreed to a deal with veteran outfielder Joc Pederson.

Reportedly, Pederson will ink a one-year contract with the franchise and is expected to earn $7 million in 2021. The move will become official once the player undergoes a physical.

The addition of Pederson is a significant one for the Cubs and might signal that the franchise didn’t give up on the 2021 season as their other moves indicated. The 28-year-old slugger will provide the team with a long-range bat and quality defense while filling the void left by the departure of Kyle Schwarber.

While Cubs had significant competition for Pederson, the player reportedly believed Chicago provided a perfect fit for him. Other teams saw him more as a specialist, while the Cubs will give him more opportunity to play and possibly have a bounce-back season that would increase his value on the market next year.

Joc Pederson spent his entire career in the majors with the LA Dodgers, making his MLB debut in 2014. He has one All-Star appearance and was part of the Dodgers team that won the World Series last year.

Pederson’s career stats include a .230 batting average, 130 home runs, and 303 RBIs.

The post Veteran OF Joc Pederson Joins the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres have agreed on a trade that sends veteran pitcher Yu Darvish to the Padres in exchange for prospects.

The Cubs will get pitcher Zach Davies and four prospects while the Padres will get Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini.

Darvish is still under contract for three more years and is set to make close to $60 million. He also finished second in voting for the 2020 National League Cy Young Award.

However, it appears as if the Cubs are looking to free up some money and strengthen their farm team at the same time, which they will be able to do with this trade.

There are some who believe that the Cubs have a very solid roster and could be competitive in 2021, which makes the Darvish trade a bit confusing for a team that clearly isn’t rebuilding.

But it might also have something to do with Darvish’s age (34) and his recent history of injuries. After arriving in Chicago in 2018, Darvish dealt with a stress reaction in his elbow and a strained tricep.

However, he was healthy in 2020 and the four-time All-Star looked dominant once again during the shortened season.

Darvish started 12 games and averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings along with a career-best 1.7 walks per nine innings.

The post Chicago Cubs Trade Pitcher Yu Darvish to San Diego Padres appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Centerfielder Cody Bellinger is off the free-agent market. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Bellinger is set to return to the Chicago Cubs, agreeing to a three-year, $80 million contract with the franchise.

According to Passan, Bellinger will receive an opt-out in each of the first two years of his deal, allowing him to hit the free agent market once again if he wishes to do so. He will earn $30 million in 2024 and 2025, while the last year of the contract comes with a $20 million salary.

After a down season in 2022 and being let go by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger inked a one-year deal with the Cubs. He enjoyed a bounce-back campaign, having a career-best batting average of .307 and adding 20 home runs, 97 RBIs, and a career-high 20 stolen bases in 130 games. Bellinger received votes for the NL MVP award while being recognized as the NL Comeback Player of the Year at the end of the season.

Bellinger was considered to be among the top free agents this winter, but his market never actually took off as he and his agent, Scott Boras, envisioned. Teams were reportedly cautious due to his previous dips in form, and with a lack of suitable offers, Bellinger opted to get a flexible contract with the Cubs.

Bellinger spent the first six years of his MLB career with the Dodgers. He is a two-time All-Star and has an NL MVP award from 2019. The Scottsdale, Arizona native also has a World Series win with the Dodgers in 2020.

The post Cody Bellinger Agrees to a 3-Year, $80 Million Deal With the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

With the New York Mets looking like they are heading towards a painful rebuild, All-Star slugger Pete Alonso is looking for a way out. According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Alonso is evaluating his options and already has the Chicago Cubs as his preferred destination.

Alonso is entering the last year of his contract with the Mets and is set to become a free agent after the 2024 campaign. If the Mets end up deciding that they are not willing to give him a huge deal, they will likely look to trade the 28-year-old player in order to avoid losing him for nothing.  

Several teams are reportedly interested in his services, but the Cubs are seen as the favorite. The franchise received information that Alonso wants to come to Chicago and is willing to be aggressive in attempts to acquire him.

Rogers, who spoke about Alonso’s situation during an appearance on ESPN’s Kap and J. Hood show, said that the player would also be willing to work out a contract extension with the Cubs that would work for both sides.

“They have a pretty good team, and a great market,” Rogers added. “I think that he wants to come here as much as they want him.”

Despite the Mets’ disappointing 2023 campaign, Alonso played well and earned his third All-Star nod. He finished the season with a .217 batting average, 46 homers and 118 RBIs.

The post Mets’ All-Star Slugger Pete Alonso Reportedly Wants to Play for the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have reportedly agreed to extend their standout second baseman Nico Hoerner. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Hoerner will ink a three-year deal that is valued at $35 million.

By giving Hoerner an early deal, Cubs have bought out one of his free-agency years. The 25-year-old was previously set to have two arbitration-eligible years after 2023 and was set to hit free agency before the 2026 MLB season.

The deal helps the Cubs lock in one of their most exciting young players and someone that they believe is the future of the franchise. The franchise has allowed several high-profile players to depart in recent years and is probably looking to change that trend.

Hoerner, on the other hand, gets financial security in the coming years while still positioning himself to enter free agency in the prime of his career. This was likely the key factor for the player, as he struggled with injuries earlier in his career and failed to play more than 50 games in the majors until 2022.

Nico Hoerner made his debut in MLB in 2019, one year after being selected in the first round by the Cubs. He played a total of 247 games in the past four seasons, batting .277 with 13 home runs and 101 RBIs.

The post Cubs and 2B Nico Hoerner Agree to 3-Year, $35 Million Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

All-Star catcher Willson Contreras saw a lot of success during his seven seasons with the Chicago Cubs. But despite this, the veteran believes that his new team, the St. Louis Cardinals, are “a better organization.”

Contreras left the Cubs this offseason to sign a five-year, $87.5 million contract with the Cardinals. And while he is yet to play an official game for the franchise, he is already happy with his choice.

“For me, I like this better. It’s a better organization. Old school way, which I love it,” Contreras told Bally Sports Midwest when asked about the differences between the Cardinals and the Cubs. “Ever since I got here it’s been everything just one way. The Cardinal way.”

Willson Contreras joined the Cubs organization in 2009 as a teenager from Venezuela. He made his way through the team’s farm system to get his MLB debut in 2016 and went on to become one of the franchise’s most important players. During his time in Chicago, he made three All-Star appearances and was part of the Cubs’ team that won the World Series in 2016.

Despite this, the Cubs reportedly explored ways to trade Contreras in recent seasons as part of their rebuild. This obviously rubbed Contreras the wrong way, as well as the fact that Chicago didn’t make a significant effort to keep him once he hit the free agency. 

The post All-Star Catcher Willson Contreras: Cardinals are “Better Organization” Than the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Sources confirmed on Sunday that the Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing a seven-year, $177 million deal with free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. This deal is expected to include a full no-trade clause.

After hitting .277 with a .776 OPS for the Atlanta Braves last season over the course of 162 games, Swanson is expected to become a key member of the Cubs’ rebuilding effort as they look to challenge for another World Series title. As the reigning Gold Glove winner with a Championship ring to his name, Swanson will be a key source of experience for the Cubs over the coming season.

The $177 million agreement for Swanson is set to be the largest deal concluded by the Cubs since 2016, when they signed outfielder Jason Heyward on an eight-year, $184 million contract.

While Swanson’s arrival in Chicago will go a long way to building the Cubs’ defensive capabilities, the team’s offense will still be in need of some repair. In addition to being in need of a left-hander, the Cubs are also in the market for a new catcher following the departure of Willson Contreras.

The post Dansby Swanson to Join Cubs on $177 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs and their All-Star catcher Willson Contreras managed to get a deal done before their scheduled arbitration hearing next Tuesday. According to ESPN, Contreras inked a new contract that will pay him $9.625 million in 2022.

Contreras and the Cubs met halfway, considering that the player asked $10.25 million salary while the organization submitted a $9 million offer for arbitration. The two sides hammered out a deal despite Chicago’s president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer saying earlier in 2022 that the team intends to go to a hearing.

The Cubs will be happy to keep Contreras, considering that the 30-year-old player is having one of his best seasons as a pro. He played 47 games so far in 2022 and is currently hitting .277 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs. Unfortunately, this isn’t helping his team much as Chicago is currently fourth in NL Central with a 23-33 record.

Willson Contreras spent his entire career with the Chicago Cubs, who gave him his major league debut in 2016. He made two All-Star appearances and was part of the team that won the first World Series for the Cubs since 1908. Contreras’ MLB stats include a .260 batting average, 105 homers, and 333 RBIs.  

The post Cubs and All-Star Willson Contreras Avoid Arbitration, Agree to a $9.625 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have tapped into the Cleveland Indians’ front office in order to find their new general manager. The team confirmed on Friday that their new GM would be Carter Hawkins, who comes to Chicago after previously serving as the Indians’ assistant general manager.

The Cubs were without a GM for almost a year, with the position becoming vacant after Jed Hoyer was promoted to president of baseball operations in November. Hoyer was the one leading the lengthy search for his successor and eventually settled on Hawkins as the best option.

“I am thrilled to bring Carter into our organization,” Hoyer said in a statement. “He has earned a fantastic reputation as a leader through hard work, open-mindedness, humility, and intelligence.”

Hawkins joined the Indians in 2008 as an advance scouting intern and worked his way up through the organization’s ranks quickly. He became assistant director of player development two years later before getting promoted to director of player development in 2014. The 37-year-old served as Cleveland’s assistant general manager since 2016.

The Chicago Cubs had a disappointing campaign in 2021, finishing with a 71-91 record. This was their worst outing since 2013, when they went 66-96.

The post Cubs Hire Carter Hawkins as New General Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one-year contract with free agent starting pitcher Trevor Williams, adding an arm that will in all likelihood become a member of the team’s starting pitching rotation in the 2021 season.

The Cubs are very familiar with Williams, as the 28-year-old pitcher spent the past five seasons pitching for their NL Central rivals, the Pittsburgh Pirates. Williams was designated for assignment and opted for free agency earlier this offseason.

Williams’s new deal will reportedly pay him $3 million, making him a low-risk option for a Cubs rotation that appears thin after the departures of Jose Quintana and Jon Lester.

The San Diego native was a solid mid-rotation starter for the Buccos in 2017 and 2018, posting a 3.55 ERA over 321 innings during those two seasons.

He did, however, struggle in a 2019 season that saw his ERA balloon to 5.38. Those issues continued and even got worse in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, as Williams’s ERA jumped to 6.18 in 11 starts.

Chicago will now hope that they will be able to coax the good version of Williams back out after his struggles over the past two seasons and add a stabilizing, veteran presence to its rotation for the upcoming season.

The post Cubs Add RHP Trevor Williams to Bolster Pitching Staff appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have finally made a big free agency addition following a series of notable exits this offseason. According to multiple reports, the Cubs have agreed to a deal with veteran outfielder Joc Pederson.

Reportedly, Pederson will ink a one-year contract with the franchise and is expected to earn $7 million in 2021. The move will become official once the player undergoes a physical.

The addition of Pederson is a significant one for the Cubs and might signal that the franchise didn’t give up on the 2021 season as their other moves indicated. The 28-year-old slugger will provide the team with a long-range bat and quality defense while filling the void left by the departure of Kyle Schwarber.

While Cubs had significant competition for Pederson, the player reportedly believed Chicago provided a perfect fit for him. Other teams saw him more as a specialist, while the Cubs will give him more opportunity to play and possibly have a bounce-back season that would increase his value on the market next year.

Joc Pederson spent his entire career in the majors with the LA Dodgers, making his MLB debut in 2014. He has one All-Star appearance and was part of the Dodgers team that won the World Series last year.

Pederson’s career stats include a .230 batting average, 130 home runs, and 303 RBIs.

The post Veteran OF Joc Pederson Joins the Cubs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres have agreed on a trade that sends veteran pitcher Yu Darvish to the Padres in exchange for prospects.

The Cubs will get pitcher Zach Davies and four prospects while the Padres will get Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini.

Darvish is still under contract for three more years and is set to make close to $60 million. He also finished second in voting for the 2020 National League Cy Young Award.

However, it appears as if the Cubs are looking to free up some money and strengthen their farm team at the same time, which they will be able to do with this trade.

There are some who believe that the Cubs have a very solid roster and could be competitive in 2021, which makes the Darvish trade a bit confusing for a team that clearly isn’t rebuilding.

But it might also have something to do with Darvish’s age (34) and his recent history of injuries. After arriving in Chicago in 2018, Darvish dealt with a stress reaction in his elbow and a strained tricep.

However, he was healthy in 2020 and the four-time All-Star looked dominant once again during the shortened season.

Darvish started 12 games and averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings along with a career-best 1.7 walks per nine innings.

The post Chicago Cubs Trade Pitcher Yu Darvish to San Diego Padres appeared first on SportzBonanza.