For the second year in a row, the Chicago Cubs are faced with the question of whether they can re-sign a high-credit free agent to their own team.
For the second year in a row, this high-credit free agent could be the same player.
MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic ranked the top 50 free agents entering the offseason, and Bellinger’s name popped up, just like it did this time last year.
Bellinger, a two-time All-Star during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was No. 8 on Bowden’s list. The reservations are the same this year as they were a year ago.
Last year, Bellinger had his best offensive season since 2019, hitting .307/.356/.525/.881 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI. At the start of this offseason, his agent, Scott Boras, thought it would be no problem to find a long-term, lucrative contract for his client.
Bellinger therefore triggered the opt-out clause in his contract and entered the market.
But it took until late February for Bellinger to get a deal done, and he eventually returned to the Cubs on a three-year, $80 million contract. That’s good money, but not the long-term security his agent had hoped for.
According to ESPN, Bellinger earned a base salary of $30 million this season, but the contract – like the one-year, $17.5 million deal he signed with Chicago before the 2023 season – comes with options and an opt-out clause.
If Bellinger does not opt out after this season, he will earn another $30 million with Chicago in 2025. If he does not opt out after the 2025 season, he can earn $20 million.
However, if he opts out after this season, he will slip into a market as a 29-year-old center fielder who has put together two solid offensive seasons in a row.
In 94 games this season, he hit .274/.333/.428/.762 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI. Like in 2023, he struggled with injuries this time around.
Bowden believes he is in line for a high-profile deal this offseason, assuming he gets out:
“…he will be the best center fielder available and his ability to play all three outfield positions, first base and DH, increases his value.”
There are outfielders ahead of him on the list. New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto is at the top of the list and the Yankees are expected to do everything possible to re-sign him. Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander is No. 7.
The situation is a little different for the Cubs, too. Pete Crow-Armstrong is nearly a year into his MLB career, and his natural position is center field. His swing can’t hold a candle to his prized glove—he has a .210 batting average this season—but the Cubs might be willing to trade five years of control of his rights for an offseason in which they can go after Bellinger again.
This, of course, assumes that Bellinger drops out.
