The Chicago Cubs have some work to do this winter.
Even after spending $89 million on free agents last offseason and swinging a blockbuster deadline trade to add Isaac Paredes in late July, the team missed the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
Now, the front office is left to retool the roster in hopes of a brighter 2025. And one of the most consequential decisions about next season will be left to Cody Bellinger, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and former MVP, who must decide whether or not to take his $27.5 million player option for next season.
If he opts into next year, the Cubs will have a big chunk of payroll allocated to a veteran who saw his offensive numbers decline in 2024. If he decides to return to free agency, they could redeploy that money toward some other roster needs.
Predicting Bellinger’s decision for Bleacher Report, Kerry Miller guessed he would return to the Cubs.
“Bellinger likely accepts the offer with hopes of a bounce-back year in 2025 to springboard back into free agency,” Miller projected.
After joining the Cubs in 2022 on a single-year, $17.5 million deal with a mutual option, Bellinger enjoyed a resurgent 2023 season that earned him National League Comeback Player of the Year honors. After returning to free agency, he agreed to another Cubs offer for three years at $80 million deal with player options for 2025 and 2026.
This season, he slashed .266/.325/.426 with 18 homers, a notable dip in his career power averages. Though he’s just 29 years old and offers defensive versatility, he might have a hard time finding a long-term deal in free agency. His player option with the Cubs gives him another chance to show what he’s got left in the tank.
Ultimately, a lot of the Cubs’ near-term future hinges on Bellinger’s upcoming decision. President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer will have his work cut out for him one way or another.
“It’s still not guaranteed Bellinger is opting out,” Sahadev Sharma noted for The Athletic. “How the Cubs attack this offseason, a critical one for Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins, will be shaped by this decision.”
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