The Chicago Cubs parted ways with Cody Bellinger in the offseason, trading him to the New York Yankees in exchange for right-handed pitcher Cody Poteet.
Ahead of Opening Day, that trade suddenly looks a lot worse for Chicago after the team announced that it had designated Poteet for assignment, leaving him off the 26-man roster to start the campaign.
Of course, part of the reason the Bellinger deal was made was to get his $26 million salary off the books, though the Cubs did also send New York $5 million in the trade. Still, to move on from Poteet before the team played a single game in the '25 season is less than ideal.
Poteet, 30, has only three MLB seasons under his belt. He spent 2024 with the Yankees, where he made four starts and five total appearances. The righty recorded a 2.22 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 24 1/3 innings. This spring for the Cubs, he struggled in his lone appearance on the mound, surrendering four runs, five hits and three walks across 3 1/3 innings.
More MLB on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cubs Already Made Cody Bellinger Trade Look Even Worse on Opening Day.
