Houston could face National League contender for Cody Bellinger at trade deadline

The 2024 MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, arriving on July 30 at 6:00 p.m. EST. Cody Bellinger, the 2019 National League MVP, is reportedly in the thick of a bidding war despite a recent injury. With a vacant first base job (sorry, Jon Singleton) and an easy path to the playoffs, it’s no surprise the Astros have already been linked to him.

However, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, they are far from alone and could lag behind some National League powers and an AL West rival in the race.

According to Bowden, Dana Brown’s Astros are looking to add a “long- or short-term solution at first base,” and Bellinger would certainly qualify as one.

Unfortunately, the Astros weren’t mentioned among the teams interested in Bellinger — the Braves, Mariners and Phillies have also expressed interest and were highlighted by Bowden, who explained where all 30 teams stand in terms of their trade needs with less than 20 days until the trade deadline.

Bellinger is currently playing under a three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, which includes an opt-out after this year and a player option after the following season. He will have $52.5 million remaining on his current contract after the end of this campaign.

Specifically, he has the option to take a $2.5 million buyout or collect $27.5 million in 2025 as well as another $25 million option and a $5 million buyout in 2026.

So far this year, the Scottsdale, Arizona, native has nine home runs and 37 RBIs, along with a .269 batting average.

Bellinger was recently placed on the 10-day injured list after being hit in the hand in a recent game against the Orioles, though he recently said his mobility wasn’t really affected and he was just waiting for the all-clear to play it safe with his finger injury.

“It’s a little bloated,” Bellinger said. “There’s a little bit of pain. But I think as soon as we can, we’ll do some imaging tests… but the range of motion is pretty good.”

The interest in Bellinger makes sense. His 2019 National League MVP award was well-deserved, with the then-Dodgers first baseman posting a 1.035 OPS at just 23 years old.

The former Gold Glove winner has hit 187 home runs in his career, with 889 hits. He has a solid track record, with 3,438 at-bats and 954 games played.

Just six years later, he still has plenty of talent to bring to any franchise. With the Astros in need of filling a first base spot, Bellinger could be just the guy they’re looking for.