Is Cody Bellinger On Track To Opt-Out After This Season?

By: Jacob Zanolla

The popular narrative around Cubs fandom is that Cody Bellinger will opt-in and stay for the 2025 season, but it’s probably not as likely as people think. Bellinger is not having an elite year by any means, but all he needs to do is beat the 2 years for $50 Million remaining on his deal with the Cubs, and Boras easily has him hit free agency again.

Bellinger was awful in 2021, and mediocre at best in 2022. After signing a one-year deal with the Cubs before the 2023 season, he posted 4.4 fWAR with a 135 wRC+ and 26 home runs. It was his best offensive season since 2019, and he continued to play top-tier defense as well.

Going into the offseason, it seemed like he would go anywhere but the Cubs. However, as the winter went on, it became apparent that many teams didn’t want to meet the asking price of super-agent Scott Boras, especially due to the lack of consistency from Bellinger in recent years. He agreed to a three year deal that brought him back to Chicago, as well as including two player options, one after each year. At the time, it was a smart move for the Cubs, as it got back a strong bat for their lineup, while not locking him up for more than three years at the maximum.

Bellinger is producing once again, which at the very least can show teams that he is back to producing every year, with less of a worry that he will have a 2021 like season where he had a 47 wRC+ and only ten home runs. As of Thursday evening, Bellinger already has 13 home runs this year, with a .759 OPS that ranks 61^st best in all of baseball. With two years in a row of being a really solid player, adding on to the defensive versatility that he provides, a large contract that has more guarantee attached makes a lot of sense. As of the series win versus Detroit, Bellinger had another two hit day, with two runs batted in as well.

If he opts-out, the Cubs are in a really good spot with their prospects. This allows Counsell to place Owen Caissie in right field, with Suzuki continuing to be the every day designated hitter. If Bellinger decides to exercise his option, the roster construction gets a lot more confusing, with another trade possible involving someone like Owen Caissie, or maybe Suzuki (although unlikely).

Marcus Stroman opted out last offseason, giving the Cubs money to sign Shota Imanaga. If Bellinger opts out, could that give them the money to sign Juan Soto? (I kid, sadly) Cody electing free agency is easily the best option for this team, but they also aren’t doomed and destined for failure if he decides to stay for one more season.