Writer's Note: The video above featuring MLB Network's Jon Morosi is from a Jan. 18, 2024 interview with WGN's Jarrett Payton.
CHICAGO — Having been in a stalemate for months, one MLB insider said Thursday that the Chicago Cubs have no interest in meeting the salary demands of agent Scott Boras for Cody Bellinger, but another insider thinks the Cubs could go after a different Boras client.
Jesse Rogers, who covers the White Sox and Cubs for ESPN.com, went on ESPN 1000's Carmen and Jurko Show Thursday with the latest insider information regarding the two camps' current positions when it comes to negotiating Bellinger's contract.
"I don't have a crystal ball. My point being is the Cubs don't want to pay him big money," Rogers said. "The Cubs will not change their stance, that I can tell you factually. They are not going to go up, it would take Boras going down."
"If [Boras] does hear the right number from another team, [Bellinger]'s gone," Rogers added. "That's the thing about Boras, there's not a lot of wiggle room. He gives you the parameters, which right now are over $200 million. You either take them or don't. If [Boras] hears a number somewhere else, [Bellinger]'s gone."
After having a resurgent season in the middle of Chicago's lineup where he slashed .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI's, Bellinger declined both a $12 million player option and a $20.325 million qualifying offer from the Cubs to test free agency.
Testing free agency though, has been a dubious process for Bellinger and other Boras clients this offseason, as we sit less than a week from pitchers and catchers reporting for numerous MLB teams.
Besides Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery — all on Boras' list of clients — also remain free agents with days remaining ahead of spring training.
Another ESPN MLB insider, Jeff Passan, expressed similar sentiments to the ones talked about by Rogers when Passan appeared on ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy Show a day prior. Passan said Chicago was gun-shy about committing to a long term, $200 million-plus contract, and hinted at Chicago picking up a Boras client, not just the one everyone would expect them to sign.
"I think with Bellinger, they don't want to go seven or eight years. They don't want to go 200-plus-million dollars," Passan said. "I do think the Cubs are going to sign one of the four Boras guys … Matt Chapman is one of them, Blake Snell is one of them and Jordan Montgomery is one of them."
Chapman — a former all-star, four-time Gold Glove-winner and two-time Platinum Glove-winner — hit .240 with 17 home runs and 54 RBI's to go with a 108 OPS+, 4.4 WAR, and winning his fourth Gold Glove last season.
Snell finished last season 14-9 on the mound with a league-leading 2.25 ERA and 182 ERA+ on his way to taking home the National League Cy Young Award.
Montgomery went 10-11 with a 3.20 ERA across 32 games started and 188.2 innings pitched.
Pitchers and catchers are set to report for the Cubs on Feb. 14 in Mesa, Arizona, with their first full-squad workout scheduled for Feb. 19.