Cody Bellinger of the Chicago Cubs looks on in the game against the New York Yankees at the Yankee Stadium in New York City, July 7, 2023. /AP
Star free agent Cody Bellinger has signed a three-year, $80 million contract to stay with the Chicago Cubs, ESPN reported on Sunday. The 28-year-old has opt-outs after both the first and the second years of the deal.
Bellinger hit .307 at bats, .356 of on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .525 with 97 runs batted in and 26 homers in 130 games for the Cubs in the 2023 campaign. The team finished the regular season 83-79 in the second place in the National League (NL) Central. They failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season.
Before joining the Cubs, Bellinger played six seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers as a two-time All-Star who won the NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2019. They won the World Series title in 2020.
Cody Bellinger of the Chicago Cubs looks on in the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, September 1, 2023. /AP
However, Bellinger had been haunted by a shoulder injury since the 2020 playoffs. After two struggling seasons, he had a thriving season in the Cubs in 2023, won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award and came in 10th in the NL MVP contest.
When Bellinger chose to become a free agent, he gave up $25 million of salary, expecting to sign a big deal like Carlos Correa did last year. Correa joined the Minnesota Twins in 2022 on a three-year, $105 million contract in 2022, opted out after the first year, and then stayed on a six-year, $200 million deal. He and Bellinger share the same agent, Scott Boras.
The Cubs made some solid roster enhancements during this offseason. They signed left-handed pitcher Shota Imanaga to a four-year, $53 million contract and reliever Hector Neris on a one-year, $9 million deal. The team also traded with the Dodgers for 26-year-old prospect Michael Busch for the first base position.