Did Anyone Outbid Chicago Cubs for Cody Bellinger?
that could last as long as three years, depending upon how Bellinger treats the options.
Bellinger signed a three-year, $80 million deal, but Bellinger likely won’t make it the distance.
Why, Bellinger controls the options after the 2024 season, when he will make $27.5 million.
Bellinger has an option for the 2025 season worth $27.5 million. If he opts out, there is a $2.5 million buyout and he can hit free agency again.
If the opts into the 2025 portion of his deal, then he’ll have a chance to trigger a $25 million option for the 2026 season. If he opts out of that he’ll get a $5 million buyout.
Bellinger and his agent, Scott Boras, were certainly looking for a longer deal that would have provided Bellinger the kind of security that other big-time free agents have gotten recently, deals that have gone as long as 12 years and have paid, at minimum, $300 million.
But the deal is a raise over his 2023 salary and he can control whether he wants to stay in Chicago for two more seasons or if he wants to hit free agency again.
But the question remains — exactly how did the market treat Bellinger? Did anyone out-bid the Cubs?
Well, Boras isn’t telling, according to USA Today.
“When I go to a wedding, I never talk about the bridesmaids,” Boras said.
Makes sense. Bellinger likely had multiple suitors during this free-agent cycle and should he want to explore the market again next offseason Boras likely doesn’t want to burn bridges for his client.
Bellinger was named a Silver Slugger last season and slashed .307/.356/.525/.881 in 130 games with 26 home runs and 97 RBI in 2023, despite missing a month with an injury. He was also named the NL Comeback Player of the Year.
He played on a one-year deal with an option and erased two injury-marred seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 and 2022.
