MESA, Ariz. – With Cody Bellinger still unsigned on the first day of full-squad workouts, Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts signaled he won’t be the one to broker a deal between president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and agent Scott Boras.

“I don’t talk to Scott,” Ricketts said Monday. “One of his signature moves is to go talk to the owner. But I think when you do that, you undermine the credibility of your general manager. You’re kind of inserting yourself into that negotiation. I don’t think that helps.”

Bellinger, the former MVP who enjoyed a comeback season with the Cubs, remains a target for a team that won 83 games last year and missed the playoffs by one game.

“Free agency is about recruiting players,” Boras told The Athletic. “It’s the normal owner’s signature move to be involved in the efforts of recruiting players and reaching out to me so I can convey to the player the ownership of the team covets them. That is the essence of free agency, and it is a custom and practice for ownership to express commitment and involvement.

“When Cody was a free agent last year, the Cubs engaged and were very aggressive in their pursuit. And their process is no different this year. So I am not clear as to what Tom is suggesting.”

Now in Year 15 as the head of his family’s ownership group, Ricketts gives wide latitude to his top baseball executives and rarely weighs in on personnel decisions. That long-term philosophy lines up with Hoyer’s methodical strategy for building a more sustainable contender than the one that faltered after the 2016 World Series. Re-signing Bellinger would bring immediate solutions to the roster — left-handed power and more stability in center field and at first base — while demonstrating a level of financial commitment.

“There has been some discussions, but it hasn’t become a negotiation yet,” Ricketts said. “Until they’re ready to really negotiate, then there’s not much we can do. I don’t tell Jed what to do. But I also imagine you just have to wait for when it gets serious before you start talking about what the end-of-money amounts are, so we’ll just see where it goes.”

Ricketts’ brief, limited interactions with Boras in the past centered around free agents such as Prince Fielder and Shin-Soo Choo. The apex of the Ricketts era at Wrigley Field — the end of the 108-year championship drought — came with enormous contributions from Boras clients the Cubs acquired through the draft (Kris Bryant) or the trade deadline (Jake Arrieta). The Cubs have no recent track record of going to the top of the free-agent market to sign a Boras client to a long-term contract.

Bellinger’s one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs came off two injury-plagued seasons that pushed the Los Angeles Dodgers to release him rather than offer him a contract through the arbitration system. The Cubs pitched Bellinger on the proximity of their Sloan Park training complex to his Arizona home and the chance to work with hitting coaches he already knew from his time with the Dodgers. With a red-hot summer, Bellinger’s popularity in the Wrigley Field clubhouse and bleachers soared.

The Cubs were shocked when Boras landed Bryant a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Colorado Rockies. The Cubs were stunned when Boras closed an 11-year, $280 million deal for Xander Bogaerts with the San Diego Padres. In those examples, the Cubs had either already moved on from Bryant or prioritized Dansby Swanson over Bogaerts, who is now moving off shortstop to second base. But those surprises show what Boras could still do for Bellinger.

Taking clients into spring training is not unprecedented for Boras, who also represents a current group of free agents that includes Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and J.D. Martinez.

Boras enjoyed a good relationship with Padres owner Peter Seidler, who died last year and changed the perception of San Diego as a small-market franchise. Boras also worked closely with Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner before his death a year ago. Their partnership helped revive Major League Baseball in the nation’s capital and deliver a 2019 World Series trophy. Before MLB’s lockout, the Texas Rangers accelerated their rebuild by guaranteeing $500 million to Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, syncing deals with Boras that propelled them toward last year’s World Series title.

Of course, it doesn’t always work out like that, which is why Hoyer will remain rational and unemotional about the Bellinger negotiations, operating without any ownership interference.

“We let Jed make all the decisions on where he’s going to allocate his resources,” Ricketts said. “With respect to Bellinger, I’m like everyone else. We’re just waiting. We’re waiting for whenever he and his agent are going to engage. It could be anytime now or it could be a few weeks.

“We’re just going to wait until they get serious.”

(Top photo of Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts: Quinn Harris / Getty Images)