Report: Cody Bellinger's Opt-Out Decision Becomes Clear

Cody Bellinger was not able to get the monster free agent deal last winter that he was hoping for after his bounce-back season with the Chicago Cubs in 2023. Instead, he and his agent Scott Boras had to settle for a 3-year, $80 million deal with opt-outs after the first and second seasons.

Now, after a decent, but far less remarkable season than last year, it appears that Bellinger will not take a chance on free agency again this winter, and according to insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, he is "fully expected to remain with the Cubs instead of opting out." Bellinger will earn $27.5 million next season.

The former MVP of the Los Angeles Dodgers underwent a brutal few seasons following his award-winning 2019 campaign, and had to settle for a 'prove it' deal last year in free agency. He proved it, alright, with a slash line of .307/.356/.525 (136 OPS+) along with 26 homers, 97 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.

But Boras wasn't able to land him the huge nine-figure deal he was hoping for in free agency, and Belli wound up back with the Cubs for 2024 on his current shorter-term contract.

This year, his numbers are down across the board, though still fine, with a slash line of .270/.331/.436 with a 115 OPS+. He has 18 HR and 70 RBIs heading into the final 10 days of the season.