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Cody Bellinger, OF
Among the four candidates on this list, Cody Bellinger is the only one not currently a free agent. That is because he recently opted into his contract for the 2025 season to stay with the Chicago Cubs. But that shouldn’t stop the Jays from potentially pursuing the former NL MVP winner via the trade route. After all, Bellinger was also a target of the Jays last offseason in free agency. If they had a keen interest in him back then, they should definitely keep him on the radar just one year later.
Bellinger didn’t end up replicating his elite production numbers from his 2023 season, but he still finished 2024 with solid numbers across the board. In 130 games played with the Cubs, he batted .266 with a .751 OPS, 72 runs scored, 23 doubles, 18 home runs and 78 RBI while hitting in the heart of the order. Bellinger also showed that he has some leg speed left in him, going 9-for-11 in stolen base attempts.
More importantly, he was a beast in the clutch when hitting with runners in scoring position, something that the Jays could really use going forward. In 130 at-bats in such situations, Bellinger posted a stellar .331 batting average and .922 OPS while driving in 58 runs in the process.
As a former Gold Glove winner, he may no longer be performing at such an elite level, but he can still hold his own in the field on a daily basis. Added to the fact that he can also play first base in addition to the outfield, it could give the Jays multiple options in terms of his deployment. Moreover, with Bellinger being a left-handed bat, he would also help the Jays balance out their lineup, which is quite right-handed heavy as of this moment.
With the Cubs looking to shed some salary ahead of the 2025 season, a Bellinger trade shouldn’t cost the Jays too many prospect pieces in return, as Toronto will likely need to eat some of it. So rather than potentially entering into a potential bidding war for Soto and others in free agency to solve their outfield problem, the trade route might actually be the safer bet than one would think as a backup plan for the Jays.