Maybe third year's a charm will be the narrative for Cody Bellinger in The Windy City? Bellinger will be entering the offseason with a huge question on his mind: Should he stay or should he go? He has a player option for the 2025 MLB season with the Chicago Cubs, as well as one in 2026, if he feels so inclined to say put. Bellinger has been up and down the last two seasons he has played for Chicago.
According to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, Bellinger is reportedly torn on the decision. Chicago is about to be eliminated from playoff contention this season. Prior to playing for the Cubs, Bellinger had been an MVP performer for the perennial playoff power out west in the Los Angeles Dodgers. His career has been every bit up and down since winning NL MVP, but it kind of works for him in Chicago.
Of course, the team he agreed to play for now has a new manager. Initially, Bellinger agreed to come play for the Cubs under David Ross' guidance. Ross was relieved of his duties entering this past season. While the Cubs thought they pulled the rug out from underneath the rival Milwaukee Brewers in landing Craig Counsell, it has been so painfully obvious that this managerial hire has yet to take for them.
All the while, Milwaukee has clinched its postseason berth at National League Central champions.
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Cody Bellinger reportedly torn over returning to Chicago Cubs in 2025
This is difficult to figure out on multiple accounts. One, we have to wonder if Counsell was a bad hire or if the Cubs are really just that chaotic organizationally under The Ricketts Family's ownership? Probably the latter, as Counsell is arguably the greatest manager in Brewers history. As for Bellinger, he can still be a high-end player when he is healthy, but it is a struggle to get him to play in all 162.
This is ultimately going to come down to one thing, and one thing only. You guessed it? Money! If Bellinger thinks he can get more money than what he is slated to make from the Cubs on the open market, he will opt out of his contract. Should he feel that the type of market he thinks he deserves is not going to manifest, then he will opt in. The deal may be get cheaper, but there is another caveat...
I remember talking about this in the lead-up to the trade deadline. The player option is a double-edged sword. It gives a player like Bellinger all the control in the world. He could opt out and stay with the Cubs, but trading a player with a player-option baked into their contract is never a good idea. In a way, Jed Hoyer gave himself enough rope and hung himself with this cluster of a baseball contract.
While I think the chances of Bellinger opting in are quite good, that may not be great for the Cubs.
