Cubs have no excuse to not make another blockbuster move

The Chicago Cubs trade of Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees on Tuesday night was not about the return. 

A 30-year-old, fringe major league arm (Cody Poteet) is not going to move the needle in any meaningful way in the short-term or the long-term for the franchise. The important thing for the Cubs was dumping as much of Bellinger’s remaining $80M contract as possible. 

Even though the Cubs also sent $5M to the Yankees to complete the trade, it clears a ton of money from the budget.

They have to put that to use in the form of another blockbuster move somewhere else on the roster. There is no excuse not to, especially in a National League Central division that is completely winnable without a single dominant team anywhere to be found. 

It is not that the Cubs have necessarily been cheap in recent years. Their $229M payroll in 2024 was in the top-10 in Major League Baseball, and even after dumping Bellinger’s contract they still figure to be there this season, especially after acquiring Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros earlier this month. 

The issue is the Cubs perhaps do not spend as much as they could, or even should, given the cash cow the franchise is and how deep ownership’s pockets are. 

The Cubs, like most teams in baseball that are not owned by Steve Cohen, keep an internal budget as to not exceed the luxury tax by too much over too many years to avoid the payments. But even if the Cubs want to keep below the $241Mtax threshold for this season that still leaves them with around $50M-60M to spend. 

That money has to be put to good use.

Moving Bellinger’s contract is defensible. He did not come close to matching his 2023 performance, and the Cubs have a pretty crowded outfield with Tucker in the mix that is going to force somebody to the bench. Bellinger’s contract may not have been the best investment, even in a sport without a hard salary cap. 

Now that it’s gone, the Cubs should — emphasis on should — have the ability to go for another big splash to show they are all-in on competing.

With Isaac Paredes going to Houston as part of the Tucker trade, the Cubs could have an opening at third base. Alex Bregman remains unsigned. 

While the Cubs’ starting rotation is solid, no team ever has enough starting pitcher in the modern day Major Leagues and players like Corbin Burnes and Roki Sasaki remain available. 

The best team in their division won 93 games a year ago and has lost one of its best players (shortstop Willy Adames) and trade its All-Star closer (Devin Williams). The Cubs have made the playoffs just one time in six years, and even that was in the shortened 2020 season with an expanded playoff field. 

The door is wide open for them. They have the flexibility. Trading for Tucker was an all-in move. That can not be the only one they make.