Cody Bellinger declines the mutual option and becomes a free agent
\n”, “providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “type”: “oembed”, “width”: 550, “contentType”: “rich”},{ “__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “This performance was more in line with the level of Bellinger’s play in 2017-19, when he posted a .928 OPS overall while winning National League Rookie of the Year (’17) and won MVP.” (’19) awards with Los Angeles. His performance with Chicago earned Bellinger the NL Comeback Player of the Year award at this year’s Players Choice Awards.\n\n”Obviously, nothing can predict the future,” Bellinger said at the end of the season, referring to his performance free agent situation. “I really enjoyed my time with this group of guys and this coaching staff while playing for the Cubs organization. Wrigley Field was special.”\n\nThe Cubs hope Bellinger’s time in Chicago can help with negotiations.\n\n”They’re always trying to convince free agents what it’s like to play in Chicago,” Hoyer said. “There’s nothing better than having a man who experiences it for a year and openly says he loves it.””, “type”: “text”}]”contentType”: “news”, “subHeadline” :null, “summary” : “CHICAGO – Cody Bellinger has written one of the best baseball comeback stories of the 2023 season with the Cubs. Now the star centerfielder wants to see where that can take him in free agency in the coming months.\nOn Friday evening, the Cubs announced that Bellinger declined his common option \”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-112″,”title”:”Chicago Cubs”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:112″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-641355″,”title”:”Cody Bellinger”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:641355″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”jordan-bastian”,”title”:”Jordan Bastian”,”type”:”contributor”}]”type”: “story”, “thumbnail”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/v1699063043/mlb/nunp71hassy8y9i2lszm”, “title”: “Cody Bellinger leans declines the mutual option and becomes a free agent “:112}}} window.adobeAnalytics = {“reportingSuiteId”: “mlbglobal08, mlbcom08”, “linkInternalFilters”: “mlb”} window.globalState = {“tracking_title”: “Major League Baseball “, “lang”: “en “} window.appId = ” /*–>*/
2:30 a.m. UTC
CHICAGO – Cody Bellinger has crafted one of the best baseball comeback stories of the 2023 season with the Cubs. Now the star centerfielder wants to see where that can take him as a free agent in the coming months.
“We would like to get him back. “We’re going to have a lot of conversations with him,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at the end of the season. “Of course it will stay that way for a while.”
The Cubs also declined a $5 million option for veteran right guard Brad Boxberger on Friday, instead opting for an $800,000 severance package after the backup’s injury-plagued season. In Bellinger’s case, his mutual option for 2024 was worth $25 million, but the outfielder is on the verge of a big multi-year payday as a free agent.
The next step for the Cubs comes on Monday, when teams must decide whether to extend a one-year qualifying offer (set at $20.325 million) to eligible free agents. Expect Chicago to do this with Bellinger, ensuring the Cubs receive a draft pick as compensation in the event the outfielder signs elsewhere.
From there, the Cubs will maintain contact with Bellinger’s camp while also looking for alternatives at center field and first base this offseason. Chicago will be aiming to build a 2023 run that saw the ballclub fall just short of the postseason, and retaining Bellinger would undoubtedly help that process.
“We would like to have him back,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said on the final day of the season. “That’s something that’s left up to the baseball people and the financial markets.”
Last winter, the Cubs secured Bellinger on a one-year contract worth $17.5 million after the Dodgers decided not to tender him. This came after Bellinger posted a .648 OPS during the 2020-22 season despite a series of injury setbacks.
This season, Bellinger thrived under the change of scenery, hitting .307 with 26 homers, 29 doubles, 97 RBIs, 95 runs, 20 steals and an OPS of .881 in 130 games with Chicago. The 28-year-old missed time in the middle of the summer with a left knee injury, but was otherwise a constant threat in the heart of the Cubs’ order while moving between center field and first base.
This performance was more in line with the level of Bellinger’s play in 2017-19, when he posted an overall OPS of .928 and won National League Rookie of the Year (’17) and MVP (’19) awards with Los Angeles. His performance with Chicago earned Bellinger the NL Comeback Player of the Year award at this year’s Players Choice Awards.
“Obviously nothing can predict the future,” Bellinger said at the end of the season, referring to his situation as a free agent. “I really enjoyed my time with this group of guys and this coaching staff while playing for the Cubs organization. Wrigley Field was special.”
The Cubs hope Bellinger’s time in Chicago can help the negotiation process.
“They’re always trying to convince free agents what it’s like to play in Chicago,” Hoyer said. “There’s nothing better than having a man who experiences it for a year and openly says he loves it.”