The Chicago Cubs have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with outfielder Cody Bellinger, and the signing comes complete with a connection to another stunner of a deal.
Bellinger, who hit 26 home runs and drove in 97 RBIs last season for the Cubs, will bolster the team’s lineup as they try to compete in the National League Central, and that critical injection of talent is just one of the ways that the deal mirrors that given to Dexter Fowler prior to the 2016 season.
Fowler endeared himself to fans with a strong 2015 season, where he hit 17 home runs, drove in 46 RBI’s and posted an on-base percentage of .346.
It seemed like his time in Chicago had come to an end, with reports even swirling that he was going to sign with the Baltimore Orioles, but as spring training began for the Cubs, a familiar face walked into their on-field workouts.
The date Fowler made his triumphant return to Mesa? Feb. 25, 2016.
The date Bellinger reportedly signed back with the Cubs? Feb. 25, 2024.
Cubs fans will surely hope that the next phase of the story will come to a similar ending as well, since the Cubs ultimately won the 2016 World Series, with Fowler smacking a lead-off home run in Game 7 to help the team to their first title in 108 years.
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