NL Central

One of the best young players in the Cincinnati Reds' system will miss approximately half of the 2024 season.

The Reds announced that infielder Noelvi Marte was suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's performance-enhancing drugs policy. Marte is the No. 1 overall prospect in Cincinnati's system heading into the 2024 season, per MLB.com's rankings.

The league's announcement revealed the suspension was for Boldenone, which is a banned substance.

Marte is the No. 21 overall prospect in the league and figures to have a bright future, although it will now be on hold following this development.

He appeared in 35 games for the Reds last season and slashed .316/.366/.456 with three home runs, 15 RBI and six stolen bases. The numbers underscored his ability to impact the game in a number of ways even in a small-sample size, as he can hit for average and power while bringing impressive speed to the table.

Marte last slashed .279/.358/.454 with 11 home runs, 45 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 92 games across three different levels of minor league play in 2023.

Cincinnati has a crowded infield with Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Jeimer Candelario, Jonathan India and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, among others, but Marte had a chance to make the Opening Day roster prior to this suspension.

In fact, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com just projected him to be included on the Opening Day roster even though he was working his way back from a right hamstring strain.

Yet the Reds will have to move on without him when they start the campaign on March 28 against the Washington Nationals.

Brandon Crawford has spent his entire career with the San Fransico Giants, but this season the veteran shortstop will join the St. Louis Cardinals.

The move to leave San Fransico wasn't his first choice. He spent 13 seasons with the Giants and wanted to remain with them in 2024, but the front office had other plans, he told The Athletic's Andrew Baggarly.

"The bottom line is I was not wanted back by the one person whose (opinion) matters," said Crawford, referring to Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. "So I went with a team that gave me a major-league contract. The Cardinals have a long history and tradition. I've admired and respected the way the Cardinals have played throughout my career and the way the organization has been run.

"But the bottom line is I wanted to come back to the Giants. That was obviously the ideal situation for me."

According to Baggarly, Crawford met with Zaidi in November and expressed his interest in remaining with the team. He told Zaidi he was even willing to take on a different role on the field while mentoring rookie shortstop Marco Luciano.

Ultimately, Crawford's time in San Francisco came to an end when he signed with the Cardinals on a one-year, $2 million deal.

After Crawford received his offer from the Cardinals, he and his agent, Joel Wolfe, gave the Giants a final chance to keep him around. Zaidi's offer to Crawford ultimately closed the door on his return.

"I was told I could earn the last spot on the roster like anyone else could as a non-roster invitee," Crawford said. "That was the nail in the coffin."

While Crawford has been one of the Giants' top infielders for most of his career, winning three Golden Gloves—his latest in 2021—and helping them win two World Series, his numbers have dipped over the last two seasons. Last year, he had one of the worst statistical years of his career, hitting .194 with 55 hits, seven home runs and 38 RBI.

Now, Crawford will look to round out his career with the Cardinals in an unfamiliar role. St. Lous general manager John Mozeliak said that second-year player Masyn Winn will remain the Cardinals' starting shortstop this season, with Crawford around to offer some veteran guidance.

Cody Bellinger has a National League MVP on his resume, played at a high level last season and is just 28 years old, which made it notable when he agreed to a relatively team-friendly three-year, $80 million deal with the Chicago Cubs this offseason.

The contract features opt outs after each of the first two years.

"There are variables," Bellinger's agent, Scott Boras, said, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. "We have some irregularity going on in this current market. We have close to 11 teams that are spending less money than they did a year go ... in light of the fact we have record revenues in baseball."

The comments suggest a robust market never developed for Bellinger.

There is something to be said about the lack of spending around the league, as 18 of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball are spending below league average heading into the 2024 campaign, per Spotrac.

A number of notable free agents, including Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Matt Chapman, are also still available with the season right around the corner.

However, Bellinger is a unique case.

On the one hand, he is still relatively young with a resume that includes that MVP, a Rookie of the Year, a World Series crown, two Silver Sluggers, two All-Star selections and a gold glove. He is also versatile enough to play in the outfield or at first base, and he just slashed .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

Yet on the other hand, he has a history of inconsistency.

He slashed just .165/.240/.302 in 2021 and followed that with a line of .210/.265/.389 in 2022. That forced him to settle for a prove-it, one-year deal with the Cubs in 2023, and he delivered accordingly.

"I have to prepare Cody that this is what they're going to do," Boras said. "The likelihood of you getting what players with your skill set normally get is probably not going to be there. So you have to have another optimal plan. It includes a shorter term with flex.

"Free agency is like a turkey and a thermometer. You have to go in, see what the temperature is, evaluate it."

Still, the presence of the opt outs in the deal means Bellinger could be in line for a bigger payday next offseason. If he strings together two impressive seasons in a row, it could quiet any lingering concerns about his consistency.

He would also still be under 30 years old.

For now, though, Bellinger is returning to Chicago and will look to help the team win the National League Central.

Veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford agreed to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo.

That news comes after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reported there was "mutual interest" between the two sides.

According to Goold, the Cardinals were looking for a backup to rookie Masyn Winn, who made his debut late last season.

Crawford is coming off a two-year, $32 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, whom he has spent his entire career with. Last season, the 37-year-old hit a career-low .194, collecting 55 hits and seven homers in 92 games.

While Crawford's hitting has dipped in the past two seasons, the four-time Gold Glove Award winner could still be a valuable defensive presence for the Cardinals or a solid veteran mentor to some of the team's younger players.

The shortstop spent 13 seasons with the Giants, aiding them in winning the World Series in 2012 and 2014.

Perhaps Crawford would have liked to close out his career with his hometown team, but now he could have the chance to make an impact in St. Louis.

Cody Bellinger is back with the Chicago Cubs, and fan excitement is through the roof.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Bellinger signed a three-year, $80 million contract Sunday. The deal carries $30 million salaries for 2024 and 2025, along with a $20 million base in 2026. Bellinger will be able to opt out following the 2024 or 2025 season.

Given many expected Bellinger to land a nine-figure contract, the fan enthusiasm was through the roof.

pic.twitter.com/xY3cS5z5o4

— stach23 🇺🇲 (@stach23) February 25, 2024

pic.twitter.com/V8IPLjXKxA

— Wes Adams (@wesadams05) February 25, 2024

we are so back. pic.twitter.com/wr1ZbLOhGT

— UK Cubs Fans (@ChicagoCubsUK) February 25, 2024

NOW I CAN GO TO SLEEP 🥹 pic.twitter.com/rLptskJiB4

— the_braden_robertson (@braden_cr) February 25, 2024

WE ARE SO BACK WORLD SERIES HERE WE COME pic.twitter.com/XEJNpMR3p4

— ‏ً (@Pick6McKinney) February 25, 2024

Jed literally runs the league pic.twitter.com/DS6uCFPhpW

— Hmmm (Brad) (@CubsEnjoyerBANG) February 25, 2024

The Cubs will be in the 2024 World Series!!!

— Vincenzo Santoro (@theSanToro_) February 25, 2024

Bellinger hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 runs batted in last season, re-emerging as one of the best outfielders in the National League. The performance was a complete about-face from the Bellinger who spent three years as one of the worst everyday players in baseball from 2020 to 2022.

Bellinger hit .203/.272/.376 with 41 home runs and 134 runs batted across 295 games during those seasons, a sudden nosedive after he won the 2019 NL MVP.

The Cubs closed the 2023 regular season at 83-79 after a hot end to the campaign, sparked in large part by Bellinger. While the Cubs still have holes in their lineup, Bellinger's return—especially at such a relatively small price—could spark hope of return to the playoffs. Chicago has not made the postseason since the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign as the franchise continues to attempt a retool.

While it's unclear whether Bellinger will maintain his performance level from last season, fans seem overjoyed by his return.

The Chicago Cubs are the betting favorites to win the National League Central after agreeing to a deal to secure the return of Silver Slugger winner Cody Bellinger.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Bellinger will sign for $80 million over three years with opt-outs after each of the first two years.

Chicago is now +180 at DraftKings Sportsbook to claim the division, narrowly edging out the St. Louis Cardinals (+185). The Cubs also have the fourth-best odds of winning the NL pennant (+1400) and are +2500 to go all the way and lift a World Series title.

The Milwaukee Brewers won the NL Central by nine games in 2023, but the division could be much more of a crap shoot in 2024. In FanGraphs' projected standings, just four wins separate the Cardinals in first place from the Cincinnati Reds in fourth.

From that perspective, installing Chicago as the favorite makes sense.

Calling the Cubs the fourth favorites for the pennant is a little deceiving because there's such a wide gulf between the Los Angeles Dodgers (+170) and Atlanta Braves (+255) and then everyone else.

In general, the Cubbies are a somewhat risky bet because they're not dramatically different from the team that won 83 games and missed the playoffs.

Japanese starting pitcher Shōta Imanaga is their biggest outside addition so far, and he's likely to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation option rather than the game-changing ace compatriot Yoshinobu Yamamoto projects as.

And for as much as Bellinger helps to shore up the middle of the lineup, the fact he remained unsigned until late February speaks to the general uncertainty about his value moving forward. Maybe the 28-year-old is an elite hitter again after his production cratered in 2021 and 2022, or his 2023 bounce-back could be a bit of a mirage.

If Bellinger regresses, it will have a major impact on the Cubs offense.

Chicago should be in the thick of the NL Central race. Anything beyond that is tough to envision.

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For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

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Sometimes it's ESPN's Jeff Passan nailing the MLB scoops. Others, Jon Heyman of the New York Post is first on the beat. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal can never be discounted.

And every once in a blue moon, it's a woman named Lisa.

Passan acknowledged a fan named Lisa Dubbs had the scoop on Cody Bellinger signing with the Chicago Cubs before any major reporter.

lisa was right

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 25, 2024

I heard that they signed Bellinger just now from a good friend who’s in AZ right now, but can’t find anything online about it. Have you heard anything?

— Lisa (@Lisa_L_Dubbs) February 22, 2024

The Cubs signed Bellinger to a three-year, $80 million contract Sunday, according to Passan. The deal calls for Bellinger to make $30 million in 2024 and another $30 million in 2025, along with a $20 million salary in 2026. He will have the option to opt out of his contract after the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Bellinger revived his value last season in Chicago, hitting .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 runs batted in while earning a Silver Slugger selection. It marked a surprising return to form after Bellinger slashed .203/.272/.376 with 41 home runs and 134 runs batted during a horrid three-year stretch from 2020 to 2022.

Those numbers were a far cry from Bellinger's 2019 MVP season, which saw him hit 47 home runs and drive in 115 runs.

The Cubs were able to sign Bellinger on a relative discount this offseason after he hung out on the open market far longer than expected. Most believed Bellinger would wind up landing a nine-figure contract as teams desperate for a bat banked on his return to form carrying over into 2024.

Instead, Bellinger languished without a deal into spring training, leading to the Lisa-reported compromise confirmed by Passan on Sunday.

The Chicago Cubs and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger reportedly agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract Sunday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the deal will carry a $30 million salary in 2024 and 2025, along with a $20 million base in 2026. Bellinger will be able to opt out of the deal following the first two seasons and re-enter free agency if he chooses.

The contract takes Chicago's Opening Day payroll to a projected $218 million, which ranks seventh in Major League Baseball. Bellinger will be the Cubs' highest-paid player on their 2024 roster.

Here is a look at how Chicago's lineup should shake out after bringing back Bellinger:

1. Mike Tauchman, CF

2. Nico Hoerner, 2B

3. Ian Happ, LF

4. Cody Bellinger, 1B

5. Seiya Suzuki, RF

6. Dansby Swanson, SS

7. Christoper Morel, DH

8. Yan Gomes, C

9. Nick Madrigal, 3B

Bellinger signed a one-year contract with the Cubs last offseason after being non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 runs batted in, earning a Silver Slugger selection.

The 2019 National League MVP, Bellinger saw his career take a nosedive over a three-year stretch from 2020 to 2022. He slashed .203/.272/.376 with 41 home runs and 134 runs batted in over that stretch. For comparison, Bellinger hit 47 home runs and drove in 115 runs during his 2019 MVP season alone.

While last season helped revive Bellinger's value around baseball, his extended free agency should be evidence that not every team is buying his revival. Bellinger had the lowest average exit velocity and lowest barrel percentage of his career last season. One could argue he was closer to being lucky in 2023 than actually turning things around.

Returning to the Cubs was always the likeliest outcome, and this deal isn't bad for either side. Bellinger could wind up taking himself back out on the open market next offseason if his breakout continues. If he regresses back into one of the worst players in baseball, the Cubs are a sturdy enough franchise to eat the $50 million remaining on his contract in 2025 and 2026.

Chicago's front office avoiding lavishing Bellinger with a massive six-figure contract should be lauded—even if the team gave up power in the process.

Cody Bellinger's plan to rebuild his value during the 2023 season and cash in as a free agent paid off in a big way, though it may have taken longer than expected to get done.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, the two-time All-Star has agreed to a three-year, $80 million deal to return to the Chicago Cubs after he declined a mutual option to test the open market. The deal calls for Bellinger to earn a $30 million salary in 2024 and 2025, along with a $20 million salary in 2026. He will have opt outs in his contract after each of the first two years.

Bellinger could have returned to the Chicago Cubs on a one-year deal worth $20.3 million after they extended him the qualifying offer, but there was virtually no chance he would accept that after his performance last season.

The Cubs don't appear to be messing around after missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. They started the offseason in stunning fashion when they fired David Ross as manager to hire Craig Counsell and make him the highest-paid skipper in MLB.

With Bellinger coming off two injury-plagued seasons in 2021 and 2022, the Los Angeles Dodgers elected to non-tender him rather than potentially pay him in excess of $20 million through arbitration.

It was a steep and dramatic fall for Bellinger, who was named 2019 NL MVP and hit the go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Game 7 against the Atlanta Braves in the 2020 NLCS to send the Dodgers to the World Series.

In a cruel bit of irony, Bellinger's problems were largely a product of that homer. He injured his shoulder during the celebration by doing the forearm smash with Enrique Hernandez after crossing the plate.

The Dodgers announced Bellinger had shoulder surgery, and he was expected to be ready for the start of spring training during the 2021 season.

After hitting .193/.256/.355 with 29 homers, 104 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 239 games over the next two seasons, the Dodgers parted ways with Bellinger. He signed a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs that also included a mutual option for 2024.

Bellinger turned out to be one of the best free-agent signings for any team last offseason. He hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 130 games.

Among players with at least 550 plate appearances, Bellinger finished 21st in the NL with 4.1 FanGraphs wins above replacement. He's a rarity as a defender because of his ability to play in center field or first base.

The offensive bar for first baseman is very high, but Bellinger has shown at his best he's got the ability to clear it.

Durability remains a big concern for Bellinger. He missed one month last season because of a knee injury.

The Cubs reaped the benefits of Bellinger's bounce-back performance and are betting big on it continuing. It's a reasonable wager since he will play most of this season at the age of 28.

The pitching behind Justin Steele is going to be the biggest question mark for the Cubs in 2024. Shōta Imanaga has impressed early in camp, but there could be an adjustment period for him as he gets acclimated to MLB hitters.

Jameson Taillon will be counted on to have a rebound season. Cade Horton, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft, could be in the big leagues at some point in 2024.

Keeping Bellinger makes all the sense in the world for Chicago because the team will need to score runs if it wants to compete for a playoff spot this season. He's still in his prime and will be for several more seasons. This is an improving roster with Pete Crow-Armstrong likely to play his first full season in the big leagues alongside Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ.

Mitch Keller will remain in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future.

The veteran right-hander and the Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a five-year contract extension, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel.

Keller's new deal is worth $77 million, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand.

The pitcher was previously slated to become a free agent following the 2025 season. His deal is the second largest in Pirates history behind Bryan Reynolds' eight-year, $106.75 million extension signed in 2023.

The 27-year-old's deal comes after he told reporters earlier this week that he was "looking forward" to extension talks with the Pirates and that he wanted to remain in Pittsburgh for the long haul.

"This is all I've known, all I've been through," Keller said. "I wanna win here, man. I really do."

Keller will continue to anchor a Pittsburgh rotation that also includes Bailey Falter, Marco Gonzales, Quinn Priester and Martin Pérez. JT Brubaker and Johan Oviedo are expected to miss the 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The Iowa native put together a breakout 2023 season, going 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 210 strikeouts in 194.1 innings across 32 starts en route to his first All-Star selection. His 210 strikeouts ranked 10th in Major League Baseball and fifth in the National League.

The Pirates selected Keller in the second round of the 2014 draft out of high school.

In 102 games (100 starts) across five seasons in Pittsburgh, he has a 25-38 record, 4.71 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 521 strikeouts in 523.2 innings.

The Pirates play their first game of spring training on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins. It's unclear when Keller will take the mound.

Pittsburgh opens the regular season on March 28 against the Miami Marlins, and Keller has already been named the Opening Day starter.