Cody Bellinger, Drew Smyly Could Be Straws That Broke CBT’s Back

AP Photo/Erin HooleyJed Hoyer said on 670 The Score Thursday afternoon that signing Cody Bellinger pushed the Cubs beyond the competitive balance tax threshold, or at least that they presumed it would. What’s funny is that the reunion only happened because no one else was willing to come near Bellinger’s reported $200 million asking price, so the value with which Hoyer is so enamored could push the team into penalty range. They’re not quite there yet, but FanGraphs’ Roster Resource estimate shows less than $1.1 million of buffer as of this writing.

And that’s before factoring in various incentives, escalators, and options.

One such option is held by Bellinger, who took a three-year guarantee…