Bellinger was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2022 season.
Cody Bellinger signed a three-year, $80 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.
Cody Bellinger, a center fielder who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 and was non-tendered by them during the 2022 season, has agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. The deal includes opt-outs after each of the first two years. Bellinger is considered one of the best available free agent hitters and was named National League Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 after hitting .307/.356/.525 for the Cubs that season.
Cody Bellinger has agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract with the Cubs.
Bellinger will receive a $30 million salary this season and have opt-outs after the first and second years of the deal.
Coming off an excellent 2023 season in which he hit .307/.356/.525, Bellinger reached free agency hoping to secure a mega-contract but took a similar path as Carlos Correa due to lack of interest from teams.
Bellinger can play center field or first base and established himself as a dual-position star with the Los Angeles Dodgers before being non-tendered by them during the 2022 season.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author states that Bellinger reached free agency 'in hopes of securing a mega-contract'. However, this statement implies that he was seeking an unfair or unrealistic contract when there were no such offers available to him. Secondly, the author uses sensationalist language by describing Bellinger's 2023 season as his 'excellent' year despite finishing only tenth in NL MVP voting and having a strikeout rate of 15.6%. Thirdly, the article is selectively reporting on Bellinger's performance against left-handed pitching without mentioning that he hit .279 with two strikes which was second in all of baseball behind Luis Arraez. Lastly, the author uses emotional manipulation by describing Bellinger as a 'dual-position star' despite his poor performance in 2017 and 2018.
The author uses sensationalist language by describing Bellinger's 2023 season as his 'excellent' year despite finishing only tenth in NL MVP voting and having a strikeout rate of 15.6% which is not accurate.
The article implies that Cody Bellinger was seeking an unfair or unrealistic contract when there were no such offers available to him. This is deceptive because it suggests that he had a right to receive more than what the market offered.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Bellinger's deal is pending a physical without providing any evidence or context for this claim. Additionally, the author makes use of inflammatory rhetoric when describing Bellinger as 'nearly halved his strikeout rate from previous seasons'. This statement is not supported by data and could be seen as an exaggeration. The article also contains examples of dichotomous depictions, such as when it describes Bellinger's 2023 season as a comeback despite the fact that he had already been successful in his career prior to this season.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Bellinger's deal is pending a physical without providing any evidence or context for this claim.
The author makes use of inflammatory rhetoric when describing Bellinger as 'nearly halved his strikeout rate from previous seasons'. This statement is not supported by data and could be seen as an exaggeration.
The article contains examples of dichotomous depictions, such as when it describes Bellinger's 2023 season as a comeback despite the fact that he had already been successful in his career prior to this season.
Bias
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jeff Passan has a financial interest in the Cubs as he is an ESPN MLB insider. He also has a professional affiliation with Scott Boras who represents Cody Bellinger.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jeff Passan has a conflict of interest on the topics of Cody Bellinger and Scott Boras as he is an ESPN MLB insider.
Cody Bellinger and the Cubs have agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract.
Bellinger returns to Chicago where he won the 2023 National League Comeback Player of the Year award after being non-tendered by the Dodgers last year.
He was the Cubs' best hitter in 2019 with a silver slugger who led them in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS (881) and RBI (97).
Bellinger is considered one of the best available free agent hitters after phenom Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers.
The Cubs' offseason to-do list was completed by replacing his offense, which was their last major item on it.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author states that Bellinger was non-tendered by the Dodgers before being signed by the Cubs. However, this statement is false as Bellinger's contract with the Dodgers expired after 2019 and he became a free agent.
The article falsely states that Cody Bellinger was non-tendered by the Dodgers before being signed by the Cubs.
The author claims that Bellinger's contract with the Dodgers expired after 2019 and he became a free agent, but this is not true.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the opinions of teammates and fans about Cody Bellinger's defensive versatility, clubhouse presence, leadership and offensive contributions. This is not a logical fallacy as it does not necessarily mean that these statements are true or reliable. However, it could be seen as biased towards Bellinger since he was the best available free agent hitter at the time of signing. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing Bellinger's return to Chicago and his 2023 National League Comeback Player of the Year award in a positive manner, which could be seen as an attempt to sway public opinion towards him. Additionally, there are several examples where the author quotes sources without providing any context or analysis about their credibility or reliability.
The Cubs have agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract with Cody Bellinger
Bellinger and the Cubs have agreed to a three-year, $80 million contact
He was the Cubs' best hitter last season
Bias
(85%)
The article contains several examples of ideological bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the opposing team and their fans by referring to them as 'singers' and 'fans calling for the team to bring him back'. This is an example of using inflammatory language to create a sense of us versus them, which can be seen as biased. Additionally, there are several quotes from players praising Bellinger that could be interpreted as being used to further this narrative. The author also uses phrases such as 'best available free agent hitter' and 'replacing his offense was the last major item on the Cubs offseason to-do list', which can be seen as an example of monetary bias, where money is portrayed in a positive light.
Author uses phrases such as 'best available free agent hitter' and 'replacing his offense was the last major item on Cubs offseason to-do list'
Players praising Bellinger could be interpreted as being used to further the narrative
The author portrays money in a positive light
The author uses language that dehumanizes opposing team and fans
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
Maddie Lee has a conflict of interest on the topics Cody Bellinger and Chicago Cubs as she is reporting for a website that owns the rights to Cody Bellinger's image.
Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a 3-year, $80 million contract.
Bellinger will receive opt-outs after each of the first two years of the deal.
The signing gives the Cubs a lefty middle-of-the order bat that they were missing.
Accuracy
Cody Bellinger has agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract with the Cubs.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author states that Cody Bellinger's free agency saga has ended in a fairytale manner for Cubs fans. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that Bellinger was not interested in returning to the Cubs and had other options available to him. In reality, there were no other significant offers on the table for Bellinger, making his return to the Cubs a necessity rather than a dream come true.
The article states that Cody Bellinger's free agency saga has ended in a fairytale manner for Cubs fans. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that Bellinger was not interested in returning to the Cubs and had other options available to him.
The author quotes Jeff Passan stating that the biggest question surrounding the Cubs this offseason was their pursuit of Bellinger and how they would replace his offensive output if he were not to return. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that there were multiple pieces added to the roster during the offseason.
The article states that Cody Bellinger gives new manager Craig Counsell some flexibility with regards to starting him at center field or allowing Busch to man first and keeping top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong at Triple-A. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that there are multiple options available for the Cubs in terms of their outfield lineup.
The article states that Cody Bellinger's free agency had dragged on long into Spring Training. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that other teams were actively pursuing him and he had other offers available to him.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when stating that President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has nothing but admiration for Cody Bellinger and echoes this sentiment multiple times throughout the article. This is a form of halo effect where one positive attribute (admiration) is used to infer other positive attributes without evidence. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when stating that
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that implies the author has personal feelings towards Cody Bellinger. The author states 'I have nothing but admiration for him' and repeats this sentiment multiple times throughout the article. This is an example of religious bias as it suggests that the author holds a particular viewpoint about Bellinger based on his character rather than objective analysis.
The signing gives the Cubs the much-needed lefty middle-of-the-order bat the team was missing.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Andy Martinez has a conflict of interest on the topics of Cody Bellinger and free agency as he is reporting for ESPN which owns MLB.com where the article was originally published.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topics of Cody Bellinger and free agency as they are reporting on a deal that involves these topics.
The Cubs and Bellinger agreed on a three-year, $80 million contract that includes opt-outs after each of the first two seasons in the deal.
Bellinger has defensive flexibility to play both center field and first base for the Cubs.
Coming off an excellent 2023 season in which he hit .307/.356/.525, Bellinger reached free agency hoping to secure a mega-contract but took a similar path as Carlos Correa due to lack of interest from teams.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that the Cubs and Bellinger found a middle ground on their contract negotiations but does not provide any details about what was agreed upon or how they reached an agreement. This creates ambiguity and leaves readers with unclear information about the terms of the deal. Secondly, while it is stated that Bellinger has defensive flexibility to play both center field and first base for the Cubs, there is no mention of his offensive capabilities at either position which could have been relevant in determining whether he would be a good fit for those roles. Lastly, while it mentions that Busch was acquired as an option for first base but does not provide any information about how well he performed during spring training or if the Cubs were satisfied with his performance.
The article states that the Cubs and Bellinger found a middle ground on their contract negotiations, however it does not provide any details about what was agreed upon or how they reached an agreement. This creates ambiguity and leaves readers with unclear information about the terms of the deal.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it quotes Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts stating that Jed Hoyer has built a reputation for holding the line on perceived value. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by quoting players expressing their hope that Bellinger would be brought back into the fold, and using phrases such as 'amazing' and 'logical outcome'. Additionally, there is an example of a dichotomous depiction when it states that Bellinger has defensive flexibility to play both center field and first base for the Cubs. The article also contains examples of informal fallacies by quoting players expressing their opinions on the matter.
The guys that played with Belli last year, obviously want him here again
He was just such a great friend, great teammate, great clubhouse presence for us. And obviously what he did on the field was really special.
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the reunion of Cody Bellinger with the Chicago Cubs. The author uses quotes from players expressing their hope that Bellinger would be brought back into the fold and presents it as a positive outcome for both parties. Additionally, there are multiple instances where the author describes Bellinger's past successes and his potential to contribute positively to the team in future seasons.
3:03 PM UTC MESA, Ariz. -- The storyline that has hovered over Cubs camp this spring has been whether free agent Cody Bellinger would rejoin the club after his stellar showing last season.
Bellinger was also one of just four players in the Majors last season to hit at least .300 with 25-plus homers and 20-plus steals
Besides adding Busch in a trade with the Dodgers to address first base, the move to retain Bellinger keeps an offensive core together that helped the Cubs rank third in runs (819) in the National League last year.
During a panel at Cubs Convention in January, shortstop Dansby Swanson made his feelings known
The question was always whether Bellinger and his agent, Scott Boras, would be willing to accept a shorter-term deal from Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Jordan Bastian has a conflict of interest on the topics Cody Bellinger and Chicago Cubs as he is reporting for MLB.com which is owned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and Tom Ricketts who owns the Chicago Cubs.
