*Photo from the Chicago Tribune*
It took a while, but a decision has been made. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, OF/1B Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs have agreed to a 3 year, $80 million contract. The Cubs have confirmed the signing.
The deal pays Bellinger $30 million in both 2024 and 2025 and $20 million in 2026. It contains opt outs after the first and second years that allow Bellinger to enter free agency again. He became a free agent at the start of the offseason when a $25 million mutual option for this season was declined by him.
Last season, Bellinger had a big bounce back year for the Cubs, returning to MVP form. He posted a .307/.356/.525 slash line with a 133 OPS+, hitting 29 doubles and 26 home runs while driving in 97 runs in 130 games for the Cubs, who narrowly missed the playoffs.
Bellinger, who can play both center field and first base, brings value at both positions for the Cubs. The Cubs have top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field and new acquisition Michael Busch at first, with Bellinger able to start over both of them thanks to his highly valued defense.
Debuting in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger took home NL Rookie of the Year that season and won NL MVP in 2019 before a 3 year downturn followed, leading to the Dodgers non-tendering him after the 2022 season. He signed with the Cubs and after a slow start to the season quickly returned to the form he flashed early in his career.
His renaissance gave him a unique spot on baseball leaderboards. He was one of only 4 players to hit at least .300 while stealing at least 20 bases and hitting at least 25 home runs. Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Ronald Acuna Jr were the other 3, with Acuna Jr and Ohtani winning NL and AL MVP.
Bellinger has played 6 seasons for the Dodgers and one for the Cubs in his 7 major league seasons. He has a .258/.335/.493 slash line with a 120 OPS+ to his name, blasting 178 home runs to go with 163 doubles, 82 stolen bases, and 519 RBI's in 875 games. He has a .211/.285/.376 slash line with 9 home runs and 33 RBI's in 69 playoff games.
The Cubs have traded for Busch and Yency Almonte from the Dodgers this offseason to go with signing free agent pitchers Shota Imanaga and Hector Neris. They also replaced David Ross with Craig Counsell to manage the team as they look to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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