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Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff WriterNov 2, 2024, 01:14 PM ET
- Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
CHICAGO — Cubs infielder/outfielder Cody Bellinger is staying in Chicago after opting into his contract for 2025, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Bellinger, 29, could have become a free agent this winter after signing a three-year, $90 million deal with the Cubs before last season that included separate opt-out clauses after the 2024 and 2025 seasons. He will be paid $27.5 million next year (with a $2.5 million buyout) and faces the same decision after next season.
He had an OPS+ of 111 last season, down from 139 in 2023, his first with the Cubs. He hit 18 home runs in 2024 after hitting 26 the previous season. His numbers don’t compare to those from his early years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he won the National League MVP in 2019, but he is still a valuable left-handed bat in the Cubs’ lineup. He has also become a killer against left-handed pitching, hitting .298 off lefties in 2024 after hitting .337 off them in 2023.
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Bellinger started the year in center field but finished it in right because of the emergence of prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has Gold Glove ability in the outfield. Bellinger can also play first base, but rookie Michael Busch established himself at that position, improving on defense throughout the season. As the Cubs are currently constituted, Bellinger would remain in right field, keeping Seiya Suzuki at designated hitter after he played below-average defense until Bellinger took over.
Without a trade, the Cubs do not have much flexibility within a position player group that was part of back-to-back 83-win seasons. The organization is counting on several players — such as Crow-Armstrong and Busch — to take the next steps in their careers while also hoping others exceed expectations. Bellinger might be included in that group after his OPS dropped to .751 last season, though Wrigley Field played as a pitcher-friendly park in 2024.
