Late Friday night into Saturday morning, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Cubs and free agent Cody Bellinger reached an agreement to bring him back to Chicago. The deal is for three years and includes opt-outs for Bellinger after years one and two. The contract is valued at $30 million for each of the first two seasons and $20 million for the last year.
Last season, Bellinger signed a one-year deal with the Cubs to prove to everyone in the league he could return to the precedent he set early in his career. Even missing 30 games, he still batted .307 with 26 home runs, 29 doubles, and 20 stolen bases. He earned his second Silver Slugger Award and was named MLB's Comeback Player of the Year.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Cubs traded prospect Bailey Horn to the Chicago White Sox. The deal became official on Tuesday evening when the Cubs posted a creative video and graphic to their socials, welcoming Bellinger back to the North Side of Chicago.
Bellinger Is Back In Chicago
Bellinger, his agent Scott Boras, and Cubs President Jed Hoyer met with the media today to officially announce his return and take questions. There was nothing but excitement to have Bellinger back in the building to play baseball for the Cubs. Bellinger was not shy in saying that returning to Chicago was exactly what he wanted going into free agency and that he was ready to go.
Bellinger said he wants to experience playoff baseball at Wrigley Field, which was part of his desire to return to the Cubs. He said that with the Cubs coming so close to the playoffs in 2023, coming back to them with close to the same roster allows him and his teammates to prove they belonged.
"I love pete. i think he is an amazing kid. he has such a bright future ahead of him."
Cody Bellinger on teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong
Adding Bellinger To The Lineup
With Bellinger on the roster, he can expect to be in the lineup daily. The Cubs have said previously they would like Michael Busch to be the Opening Day starter at first base, so Bellinger will likely be at his regular home in Center Field. This displaces prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong from the major league roster.
Without Bellinger, PCA would have been considered the strong favorite to be the Cubs' Opening Day center fielder. With Bellinger back, it's possible that PCA doesn't even make the roster. With the depth the Cubs have at multiple positions, he may not get the everyday at-bats he would be able to have in AAA Iowa. And we saw how that impacted him at the end of last season.
According to Bellinger, PCA was one of the players wanting the Cubs to bring him back. He said the two have a great relationship and believes PCA will have a long, successful career in the major leagues. Everything can shift, though. If Busch does not hold his own initially at first base, the Cubs could shift their plan to shift Bellinger to first and PCA to center field just as quickly as they shifted to add Bellinger to the roster.
