Bellinger and Cubs Finally Come to an Agreement
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Former MVP-winner Cody Bellinger is coming back to the Chicago Cubs on a three-year, $80 million contract with opt-outs after the first and second seasons of the deal.
Most baseball fans know all too well the unusual path that has led Cody Bellinger to where he is today, but for those unfamiliar, here is a breakdown of Belli’s seven-year career:
The Rise
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Bellinger came onto the big stage in 2017 and was immediately a star. He hit 39 home runs in that first season—earning him NL Rookie of the Year by a landslide. While still having top-notch numbers in 2018, the world really began to take notice of Bellinger in his 2019 season where he won the MVP award. Some of his 2019 numbers included a .305 Batting Average (BA) with a whopping 47 home runs, bringing him to 8.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). It seemed clear cut: Bellinger was set to have one of the greatest careers ever seen with the team that drafted him.
The Fall
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A fluke shoulder injury from celebrating a pivotal home run in the 2020 NL Championship Series Game 7 led to surgery and one of sports history's most devastating declines. After putting up abysmal numbers, such as a .193 batting average that spanned the 2021-22 seasons, Bellinger was waived by the Dodgers as he hit free agency; an idea that would have been completely unbelievable just three years prior.
The Redemption
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While Bellinger clearly was not the same player from 2019, plenty of teams were still ready to offer him a short-term deal, hoping to reignite even some of the former MVP's peak performance. The Chicago Cubs came out on top, signing him to a one-year, $17.5 million “prove it” deal for the 2023 season. While the expectations for Bellinger going into 2023 were pretty low, he still brought good defense and a great clubhouse presence if nothing else.
After a 0-for-11 start to the season that left Cubs fans wondering if this was the worst experiment ever, Bellinger found his stride and never looked back. While his style of play had changed some from the elite seasons with the Dodgers—a decrease in power and number of home runs—Bellinger became one of the best hitters in the game once again. He finished the season with a .307 BA and a .881 On-base Plus Slugging percentage (OPS).
Once primarily known for his power, Bellinger sat more in the middle of the pack when it came to home runs in 2023. This can be accredited to Bellinger changing his approach depending on the count and the situation. Instead of swinging for the fences on a two-strike count, for example, he would look to poke it through the infield to just get on base—hence the high batting average. A season like such left most baseball fans assuming Bellinger would have several suitors who were trying to outbid each other, but that was not the case.
Bellinger found himself in the middle of one of the strangest MLB offseasons to date. A feud that has been brewing for years between MLB teams and Scott Boras, Bellinger’s agent, led to gridlock between the two parties that has carried right into spring training. In fact, four major free agents this offseason in Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, and Matt Chapman—all clients of Boras—had not signed a deal by the first spring training pitch. Many fans of the game blame Boras for overvaluing his clients—which led to an unspoken hold-out by every organization on any of the players represented by him.
The Cubs finally broke the ice with news breaking early Sunday morning that they would be bringing back the 28-year-old on a three-year deal. With the offseason additions of Manager Craig Counsell, southpaw starter Shota Imanaga, and veteran relief pitcher Héctor Neris, the Cubs were expected to be a better all-around team than the season prior, but without Bellinger, there would be a serious lack of offense. For the Cubs to truly compete in 2024, they needed to bring back Bellinger.
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Throughout Bellinger’s three-year contract, there are opt-outs after the first and second seasons. He is set to make $30 million in 2024, as well as in 2025 if he opts in. This leaves $20 million for the 2026 season, but if Bellinger can emulate his 2023 season, expect him to opt out and search for a longer and bigger contract.
The Cubs were hesitant to give Bellinger anything too large for a couple of reasons: his track record and the fact that they have the 16th-best prospect in centerfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong who should be ready for a regular big-league roll soon.
All that being said, this is a very beneficial deal for both parties and is encouraging for the rest of the league to see Scott Boras' clients eventually do come down on their high asking prices. Cody Bellinger coming back to the Cubs made too much sense, and fans of the organization should be tipping their caps to President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, for getting this done. Cubs fans should be extremely optimistic as this 2024 season kicks into gear.
