The Chicago Cubs‘ offseason hinges heavily on Cody Bellinger’s free agency decision. He can opt for $27.5 million next season or opt out of his current contract in search of more long-term stability. If Bellinger goes the latter route, it puts the Cubs in a tough spot. Chicago isn’t typically a team that throws away its stars.

So let’s imagine for a moment a world where Bellinger leaves Chicago. That puts the Cubs offense in a terrible spot. Chicago is already struggling to generate consistent production from the heart of its lineup. Isaac Paredes was supposed to help but couldn’t find the goals at Wrigley Field. Dansby Swanson hasn’t hit well in forever. Pete Crow-Armstrong, for all his dynamic talent, has yet to fully break out at the plate.

The Cubs sans Bellinger are a dramatically worse team. There are alternatives, including a few possible upgradesbut most Chicago fans are very passionate about the Belli Bombs and everything the former MVP stands for. Losing him would be hard. It would be particularly difficult if he were to leave Chicago for one of these destinations.

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It was time for Pittsburgh Pirates start spending money and win games like Livvy Dunne’s frustrations grow. The Pirates absolutely have a winning formula with Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and an electric starting rotation. Now it’s time to step up the offense.

Pittsburgh has some decent sluggers in Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, but this was quite possibly the worst offensive team in the National League last season. On several occasions, Skenes produced a stunning performance, only for the Pirates to throw away a lead due to lackluster support. Pittsburgh has other holes to fill, especially in the bullpen, but a few star bats would begin to dramatically change this organization.

It’s unlike the Pirates to unlock a serious long-term offer for a star of Bellinger’s caliber, but with the clock ticking on Skenes — we know he won’t re-sign at the end of his rookie deal — the Pirates have a clear win-win policy as possible before their Cy Young candidate pounces. Bellinger would give the Pirates some much-needed veteran presence, postseason experience and a disciplined bat. His slugging numbers dipped last season, but Bellinger still hit 18 home runs while spraying extra-base hits on a regular basis.

That would obviously keep Bellinger in the NL Central, competing with Chicago in what is sure to be a heated race for the division crown. Cubs fans don’t want to stop Bellinger so directly, but a move to Pittsburgh would leave them with no choice.

The Philadelphia Phillies was the best team in baseball for a solid portion of last season, and there’s no reason to think Philly can’t recapture some of that magic in 2025. The playoffs didn’t go according to plan, but the talent on that roster go with anything. team. Dave Dombrowski doesn’t usually take shortcuts. He is very interested in improving his roster when the right opportunities arise.

We can safely cross Juan Soto off the list of likely Phillies free agent additions, but Bellinger is a realistic backup plan. He won’t affect Philadelphia’s header as dramatically and addresses an ongoing need in the outfield. The Phillies have struggled to find consistent bats in left and center; Bellinger can obviously rake, but he’s also a positive defender at any position on the court. The Phillies are short on two-way stars.

Bellinger would take Philadelphia to the next level and could position the Phillies as favorites to get out of National League contention, which is bad enough for the Cubs, who have postseason aspirations of their own. However, watching Bellinger team up with another former love cub in Kyle Schwarber would sting even more. There would be a lot of memories there, and any successful Schwarber and Bellinger experience in tandem would raise the age-old “what if” question.

If Bellinger leaves Chicago, the Cubs will generally hope it’s for an American League team. Ideally one without a ton of baggage, like the Mariners. But if it’s the next team, that will also bring bad vibes to the Windy City.

This story is so tired. How many good players left their teams for more money and prestige New York Yankees base-ball? Cody Bellinger would certainly fill a need for New York, whose outfield depth chart will become horribly patchy if Juan Soto heads to free agency. But, this kind of result just sucks. Choose at least one more interesting, esoteric destination.

The Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo to Chicago in 2021. We’ve seen what happens when a beloved Chicago slugger ends up in a Yankees uniform. It hasn’t been the best of sailing for Rizzo in New York, but he’s still a fan favorite in Chicago. Bellinger hasn’t garnered the same goodwill, but there would be a real sense of disappointment if he ended up in the Bronx touting his new $150 million-plus contract in pinstripes.

Marcus Stroman left the Cubs for the Yankees a year ago. His departure was a little more mutual, but it set the stage for a much bigger New York poaching job in Chicago. Bellinger getting rid of baseballs in front of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton is good for business. The discipline and clutch gene that defines Bellinger’s approach would be extremely beneficial to a weak Yankees offense, especially if Soto packs up and leaves.

The Cubs should re-sign Bellinger and be done with it, but if the price rises too much, Chicago will let him go. Whether it’s New York, Philly, Pittsburgh, or another more mysterious suitor, it’s hard to imagine fans being excited about his departure.