Outfielder Cody Bellinger has made his decision: He will continue his career in the jersey of the Chicago Cubs.
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The one-year, $17.5 million contract signed by the 27-year-old athlete will soon be formalized by the Illinois-based organization, according to ESPN network pundit Jeff Passan.
Bellinger spent the first six seasons of his major league baseball career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2017 before winning the Most Valuable Player award two years later, each time at the National.
However, the Scottsdale, Arizona native experienced a fairly significant decline over the following three seasons. In 2022, he struggled to regain his former form, averaging a .210 batting average and a .265 baseline average. In 504 appearances on the record, he hit 19 home runs and 106 hits.
Bellinger went free as air after the California side refused to make him a qualifying offer.
The Cubs, who finished the 2022 season in third place in the NL Central with a 74-88 record, will definitely need Bellinger’s offensive contribution next season. Her 620 RBIs ranked her 22nd in the major leagues.
Buy the Giants
With persistent rumors sending Aaron Judge to San Francisco, the Giants have instead turned to another outfielder in the free-agent market, Mitch Haniger.
According to ESPN, a three-year tenure for $43.5 million would not impact the California team’s interest in the New York Yankees big hitter.
Haniger’s last two seasons with the Seattle Mariners have been exciting, including hitting 39 long balls in 2021, but they have also been marred by injuries. Last season, the 32-year-old had a .246 batting average in 57 games in two weeks. He added 11 homers and 34 RBIs.