"There's been a lot of consternation up in Toronto" - MLB insider believes Cody Bellinger sweepstakes are 'leaning' towards the Blue Jays

Former NL MVP Cody Bellinger is currently a free agent and hasn't signed a deal with Spring Training a week away. The Chicago Cubs were touted to be his most likely spot, but it seems even though both parties like each other, the financials involved have kept them apart.

ESPN's Jeff Passan has found a new team that should onboard Bellinger's services. Passan hinted towards the Toronto Blue Jays, who were on the tail end of many blue-chip free agents this season but couldn't manage to land them. This also includes two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, who was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"This is just me trying to read tea leaves," Passan said on ESPN 1000. "I just feel like the Toronto Blue Jays need Cody Bellinger more than the Cubs do. There's been a lot of consternation up in Toronto, especially after the way the Ohtani situation played out. It was just a spectacular miss. And pursuing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they weren't even close."

Passan added:

"And they've made a couple of moves this offseason, but it's certainly not the kinds of moves that are gonna take you from a team that's on the cusp of playoff contention to one that's handly going to be in. The need is more acute in Toronto than it is with the Cubs."

Identifying the major roadblocks in Cody Bellinger's signing

Cody Bellinger just had a good enough season with the Cubs, which prompted him to decline the club option and test free agency. He recorded a .307 batting average with 153 hits, 26 homers, 97 RBIs and 95 runs scored in 130 games.

However, there were a string of bad seasons that followed him after his 2019 NL MVP season. Following the 2022 season, the Dodgers non-tendered him. The move was followed by the Chicago Cubs signing the outfielder.

This inconsistency has kept many teams at bay. Another reason is his asking price, which hasn't really leveled with teams. Bellinger is reportedly seeking a multi-year contract worth nearly $200 million.

Given his inconsistency, many teams may not want to sign him to a long-term deal and may want to see if he can reciprocate or do one better the next season.