\n”, “providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “type”: “oembed”, “width”: 550, “contentType”: “rich”}, “__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “This pitching was closer to Bellinger’s level of play during the 2017-19 season, when he posted a combined 0.928 OPS while winning National League Rookie of the Year (’17) and Most Valuable Player honors” (’19) Awards with Los Angeles. His production with Chicago led to Bellinger being named NFL Player of the Year at this year’s Players’ Choice Awards. “Obviously there’s no predicting the future,” Bellinger said at the end of the season. “Anything,” he said, referring to his free-agent status. “I’ve really enjoyed my time with this group of players, with this coaching staff, playing for the Cubs organization. “Wrigley Field was special.”\n\nThe Cubs hope Bellinger’s time in Chicago will help in the negotiation process.\n\n”You always try to sell free agents what it means to play in Chicago,” Hoyer said. . “There’s nothing better than a guy testing it for a year and openly saying he loves it.”,”type”:text”],”contentType”:news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary” :”Chicago – Cody Bellinger authored one of baseball’s best comeback stories for the 2023 season with the Cubs. Now the star outfielder plans to see where that can take him in free agency in the coming months.\nOn Friday night, the Cubs announced that Bellinger had declined his mutual option,”tagline(\”formatString\”:\”none\”)” :null,”tags”:[“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”,”__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”,”__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-112″,”title”:”Chicago Cubs”,”team”:”__ref”:”Team:112″,”type”:”team”,”__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-641355″,”title”:”Cody Bellinger”,”person”:”__ref”:”Person:641355″,”type”:”player”,”__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”jordan-bastian”,”title”:”Jordan Bastian”,”type”:”contributor”]”type”: “story”, “thumbnail”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/formatInstructions/v1699063043/mlb/nunp71hassy8y9i2lszm”, “title”: “Cody Bellinger” He declines the trade option, becomes a free agent.” ” “:112}}} window.adobeAnalytics = “reportingSuiteId”:”:mlbglobal08,mlbcom08″, “linkInternalFilters”: “mlb” window.globalState = “tracking_title”: “Major League Baseball”, “lang”: “en” window.appId = ” /*–>*/
2:30 AM UTC
CHICAGO — Cody Bellinger has authored one of baseball’s best comeback stories for the 2023 season with the Cubs. Now the star quarterback plans to see where that can take him in free agency in the coming months.
“We’d love to have him back. We’ll have a lot of conversations with him,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said at the end of the season. “Obviously it’s going to go on for a while.”
The Cubs also declined a $5 million option on veteran right-hander Brad Boxberger on Friday, opting instead to pay an $800,000 bonus after a season marred by injury. In Bellinger’s case, his mutual option was worth $25 million for 2024, but the player is on the cusp of a big multi-year payday as a free agent.
The next step for the Cubs arrives Monday, when teams must decide whether to extend a one-year qualifying offer (set at $20.325 million) to eligible free agents. Expect Chicago to do that with Bellinger, ensuring the Cubs receive a draft pick as compensation if the player signs elsewhere.
From there, the Cubs will maintain contact with Bellinger’s camp while also sorting out replacements for center field and first base this offseason. Chicago will aim to build on a 2023 run in which the ballclub is unable to make the postseason, and keeping Bellinger will certainly help in that process.
“We would love to have him back,” Cubs president Tom Ricketts said on the final day of the season. “That’s up to baseball players and the financial markets.”
Last winter, the Cubs signed Bellinger to a one-year, $17.5 million contract after the Dodgers decided not to tender him. This came after Bellinger posted a .648 OPS across the 2020-22 seasons amid a variety of injury setbacks.
This season, Bellinger has thrived in the changing landscape, hitting .307 with 26 homers, 29 doubles, 97 RBIs, 95 runs, 20 steals, and an .881 OPS in 130 games with Chicago. The 28-year-old missed time in mid-summer with a left knee injury, but was a constant threat in the center of the Cubs’ defense while moving between center field and first base.
This showing was closer to Bellinger’s level of play during the 2017-19 season, when he posted a combined .928 OPS while winning National League Rookie of the Year (’17) and Most Valuable Player (’19) awards with Los Angeles. His production with Chicago led to Bellinger being named NL Comeback Player of the Year at this year’s Players’ Choice Awards.
“Obviously there’s no predicting the future in anything,” Bellinger said at the end of the season, referring to his free agent status. “I really enjoyed my time with this group of players, with this coaching staff, playing for the Cubs organization. Wrigley Field was special.
The Cubs hope Bellinger’s time in Chicago will help the negotiation process.
“You’re always trying to sell free agents on what it means to play in Chicago,” Hoyer said. “There’s nothing better than a man trying it for a year and flat out saying he loves it.”
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