The Chicago Cubs likely will be aggressive this winter.
Chicago isn't too far away from being a playoff team in the National League. The Cubs finished the season with an 83-79 record despite being well below .500 at one point this season. There is some real hope that the Cubs could be a playoff team in 2025, and because of this, it wouldn't be shocking at all to see the team be active in free agency.
There could be a tough decision to be made about one of the team's top players, though. Superstar slugger Cody Bellinger has the option to opt out this winter. It's unclear what he will do. Bellinger appeared in 130 games this season and slashed .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs, 78 RBIs, 23 doubles, and nine stolen bases. It was a step back from his 2023 season, but still a solid campaign.
Bellinger has an option for the 2025 campaign worth $27.5 million. If he opts in, he also will have a $25 million salary in 2026. It may make sense for him to opt out, though, as his market value is projected to be $154 million over seven seasons by Spotrac.
He is just 29 years old and is a former Most Valuable Player. It would make some sense to opt out now because he has two straight solid seasons under his belt and certainly will get a multi-year deal. If that ends up being the case, will the Cubs opt to hand him the large deal? It wouldn't be shocking. Chicago clearly likes Bellinger, and he seems to like being a member of the Cubs.
There will be some tough decisions to be made, but at this point, it would be surprising if Bellinger wasn't a member of the Cubs in 2025.
