CHICAGO — On the verge of elimination from the playoff race, the Chicago Cubs are headed toward another long offseason that Cody Bellinger and Scott Boras will shape. Though the focus around Wrigley Field is already shifting to the future, Bellinger has not yet decided whether to opt out of his contract or return to the Cubs next season, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Either way, the Cubs will be fine with Bellinger’s decision. Building a team expected to win 90 games — instead of hoping to sneak into the postseason as the last wild card — requires more dynamic, proven talent. Bellinger, 29, is a former MVP with a World Series ring, well-rounded skills and strong relationships with his teammates and coaches. It wouldn’t be a stretch to project a 4-WAR season, and it might only be a one-year commitment.
If Bellinger elects to explore his options as a free agent again, the Cubs can multiply their financial flexibility this winter, fill his primary positions internally with Pete Crow-Armstrong (center field), Seiya Suzuki (right field) and Michael Busch (first base), and look at other areas for upgrades.
Among the many layers to this decision is a recognition that the Cubs (79-75) still have eight games remaining after Friday afternoon’s 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals. From the team and individual perspectives, how you finish is important.
“When you’re in the big leagues,” Bellinger said, “you always have something to play for.”
After the Cubs sold at the 2022 trade deadline and finished that season with 88 losses, team president Jed Hoyer’s front office used that October to strategize, identifying Bellinger as a top target. Coming off two injury-plagued years and rising salaries in the arbitration system, the Cubs sensed that the Los Angeles Dodgers would not offer Bellinger a contract.
Bellinger signed a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs that winter and prevented another sell-off at the trade deadline that summer, carrying the team with stretches of MVP-level performance (.307 batting average, 26 homers, 97 RBIs). Several factors, however, worked against Bellinger, who’s represented by Boras, the high-profile agent. There was the injury history and a steep decline in Los Angeles, plus analytical questions about his offensive profile as well as larger market forces at play, such as uncertainty surrounding the baseball industry’s TV model.
Bellinger circled back to the Cubs after the start of spring training, signing a three-year, $80 million contract that includes player opt-out clauses following the 2024 and 2025 seasons. After the Cubs missed the playoffs by one game last year, Bellinger hoped to be the catalyst.
Cody Bellinger was still valuable this season but couldn’t quite harness the power he displayed in 2023. (Harry How / Getty Images)
“Definitely disappointed,” Bellinger said, referencing the two-month stretch when the Cubs wasted a 17-9 start and eventually dropped to nine games under .500 before pulling back toward the edges of wild-card contention. “I wish that I was able to do more. There’s always something that you wish you could do better. It was a tough stretch. You just try to keep on going and push through.”
Bellinger returned from two separate injuries faster than the Cubs expected this season, gritting through broken ribs and a broken finger. He still brings plus arm strength, speed and defense at multiple positions. He remains a left-handed presence in the lineup, an above-average hitter with a plan at a time when offense is down across the sport and hitting at Wrigley Field has become more challenging.
To keep playing into October, though, the Cubs could have used more thump from Bellinger, who’s put up 18 homers, 73 RBIs and a .760 OPS.
“I still think he’s had a really nice season,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “His defensive versatility has been super valuable. He’s had some big swings and performances, for sure. I don’t think much has changed, really. He’s still doing some things really well. We just haven’t seen as much slug.”
Numbers that are good but not great still equal another solid season to stack on top of Bellinger’s 2023 Comeback Player of the Year campaign, creating more distance from his disappointing final two years at Dodger Stadium. Boras could also market Bellinger as a two-way center fielder, a rare find in today’s game.
The Cubs view Bellinger as a good influence on Crow-Armstrong, the rookie center fielder with Gold Glove ability, and the rest of their clubhouse. Bellinger’s family is also comfortable with the setup in Chicago and a training complex near their Arizona home, another aspect of the looming decision to stay or go.
(Top photo: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
