The Latest Breaking News from Cody Bellinger

It was still warm and fuzzy at the last Cubs Convention in 2020. It’s different now, isn’t it? There’s a wafting sense of a desperate need to become good and win again.

LOS ANGELES — By not taking a gamble on any of this offseason's top free agents, the Dodgers instead placed one very big, very high-stakes bet on something else.

The baseball year has began rather quietly, at least compared to the frenetic pace of free agency last month. As of this morning, the two most notable acquisitions this week came in the NL Central: the Cubs have agreed to a one-year, $720,000 deal with first baseman Eric Hosmer, and…

The additions of Dansby Swanson, Jameson Taillon, Cody Bellinger and others have undoubtedly made the Cubs better. The question is, exactly how much have those signings changed the Cubs’ 2023 outlook?

CHICAGO — Four seasons ago Cody Bellinger reached the height of personal accolades as one of the best young players in Major League Baseball. He amassed multiple awards — National League MVP, Silver Slugger, Gold Glove — to validate his all-around performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bellinger’s offensive numbers have tumbled since his 2019 MVP season.

The top free agents have all signed contracts, but there are still plenty of moves for contending teams to make.

The superteam with seemingly infinite resources has been noticeably absent from the hottest market in years. What gives?

Chicago may not yet have enough to qualify for the playoffs, but adding Dansby Swanson provides a clue as to how this team can succeed in the near future.

Carlos Correa agreeing to a record-setting deal with the Giants made Swanson the last of the Big 4 free agent shortstops left on the market.

LOS ANGELES — I could not help but think of Barry Bonds on Tuesday night. Bonds was not beloved in most ballparks outside San Francisco, and he took great pride in being particularly loathed in one.