PHILADELPHIA – Even as the season began to wind down, even as the Cubs’ playoff hopes fizzled into an impossibility, Cody Bellinger didn’t let his mind stray too far ahead. Even in conversations with his agent Scott Boras, they put off the decision he’ll eventually have to make on the opt-out he could exercise after this season.
“[Boras] is like, dude, just finish out the season, have fun, we’ve got plenty of time to talk after the season,” Bellinger said this week during the Cubs’ final road series. “And I’ve got to talk to my wife, I’ve got to think about my kids, I’ve got to think about my family, I’ve got to think about myself. And I don’t have time to think about that during the season.
“I’m trying to go out and play. Even though we’re out of it, you get in the game and competitive nature takes over, adrenaline. So you just want to go out and play. And so that’s all I’m focused on.”
The Cubs finish the season against the Reds at Wrigley Field this weekend. And then he’ll pick up those conversations.
Even from an outside perspective, there is no clear-cut answer.
The $80 million contract Bellinger signed this past spring gives him flexibility over the course of three seasons. If Bellinger chooses to re-enter free agency this winter, he’d make $30 million this year with the buyout included.
If he stays, he also has an opt-out built in after next season, guaranteeing him $60 million through two years.
“Definitely have more of an understanding even this year,” he said of gaining perspective on his priorities through the free agency process last winter. “Honestly, it’s in the back of my mind, but I truly haven’t really thought about what I want to do until the season’s over.”
No long-term deal materialized last winter, even with Bellinger coming off a successful pillow contract with the Cubs the year before. So, they landed on a shorter-term deal with a higher average annual value and opt-outs to give Bellinger the option to test the market again when he’s still only 29 (this year) or 30 years old (next).
If Bellinger’s 2024 season had swung closer to an extreme on either end, his decision would be clearer.
Though he hasn’t replicated his 2023 NL Comeback Player of the Year-winning season, with three games left, he’s hitting .267 and has driven in 78 runs this season – the second-most on the team behind only Ian Happ, despite two IL stints.
Bellinger returned to the field quickly after he fractured ribs running into Wrigley Field’s brick wall in April and a pitch up and in fractured his left middle finger in June.
His power numbers took a hit this year. But especially with dips in exit velocity lining up with his injuries, it’s hard to ignore the impact playing through pain may have had.
The last four years have been a learning experience as Bellinger has dealt with a series of injuries, largely from freak accidents.
“When I was first hurt, I didn’t really understand how much your body really compensates when you are hurt,” Bellinger said. “Even, you break a bone, and how that affects the muscle tissue around it. Everything that comes with an injury.
“With all those injuries I’ve had, I’m able to counteract that and get my body moving correctly the right way. Even though I might not be 100%, I’m still able to go out and perform and produce – maybe not to the fullest extent, but still good enough.”
Bellinger’s injuries, plus Wrigley Field’s offense-suppressing tendencies this season – only the Mariners’ T-Mobile Park has been less hitter-friendly, according to Baseball Savant – could be spun as reasons to stay and put together a stronger platform season before hitting free agency next year.
They’re also factors Boras could leverage this winter, pitching teams on Bellinger’s potential after a solid 2024 season regardless.
Weighing the pros and cons can wait, however, until after one more weekend at Wrigley Field.