- ABC News
- November 2, 2024
CHICAGO -- Cubs infielder/outfielder Cody Bellinger is staying in Chicago after opting into his contract for 2025, sources tell ESPN. Bellinger, 29, could have become a free agent this winter after signing a three-year, $90 million deal with the Cubs before last season, which included separate opt-out clauses after the 2024 and 2025 seasons, respectively. He'll be paid $27.5 million next year (with a $2.5 million buyout) and then faces the same decision after next season. Bellinger had an OPS+ of 111 last season, down from 139 in 2023, his first with the Cubs. He hit 18 home runs in 2024 after hitting 26 the previous season. His numbers don't compare to those from his early years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he won the NL MVP in 2019, but he's still a valuable left-handed bat in the Cubs' lineup. He has also become a killer against left-handed pitching, hitting .298 off lefties in 2024 after hitting .337 off them in 2023. Bellinger started the year...