Bellinger’s Return Leaves Cubs With Crowded Off-Season Picture
Cody Bellinger is back with the Cubs, which is at least somewhat of a mixed blessing for Jed Hoyer and the team's front office.
The Cubs were positioned to go forward without Bellinger, whose return on a complicated three-year, $80 million contract was celebrated last February. Every lineup can use another left-handed power bat, for sure, but first baseman Michael Busch out-produced the 28-year-old former MVP last season.
Bellinger's biggest value comes when he plays center field but the arrival of two-way talent Pete Crow-Armstrong last season has Hoyer's team set there for foreseeable future. Bellinger slots into right field and designated hitter with Busch at first base.
Had Bellinger had a big season in 2024, he most likely would have used the first of two opt-out clauses that Scott Boras included his contract. But he got off to a bad start and then landed on the Injured List with two broken ribs after crashing into the Wrigley Field bricks on April 23, giving him in an early statistical hole.
To Bellinger's credit, he rebounded quickly, however, seeming to get back on track after hitting a homer off San Diego's Randy Vasquez in his return on May 7. But Bellinger contributed to a team-wide trend that had the Cubs underperforming at home and finished the season with a .266 batting average, 18 home runs and 78 RBIs in 130 games. His .752 OPS included a .700/.797 home/road split.
You can't blame Bellinger for not wanting to put himself on the free-agent market for the third year in a row. He never had a multi-year contract while he was with the Dodgers and remained unsigned until after spring training had begun a year ago.
But the financial implications of his decision are significant for Hoyer. He returns as the second highest paid of seven Cubs with long-term contracts after finishing seventh among hitters with a 2.2 WAR. The team now has an estimated $174.6 million on the books in guaranteed salaries and projections for 14 arbitration-eligible players, leaving the payroll only about $40 million below the 2024 Opening Day figure of $214.4 million.
It's a veteran lineup that has no clear openings for an intriguing group of prospects on the way. Infielders Matt Shaw and James Triantos and outfielders Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara. All of them finished last season at Triple-A Iowa.
Shaw and Caissie are regarded as the team's top prospects by MLB.com. Shaw has been blocked by the presence of veterans Nico Hoerner and Isaac Paredes, and Bellinger's return leaves no clear vacancy for Caissie.
Hoyer would love to add an impact arm to a rotation that includes Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad. Rather than put together a massive contract for Blake Snell, Corbin Burnes or Max Fried, he could package his prospects to trade for someone like the White Sox's Garrett Crochet, the Marlins' Jesus Luzardo or the Cardinals' Sonny Gray.
The hope is that Bellinger can elevate his play in 2025. The reality is he joins Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki among the known quantities that helped their team to consecutive 83-win seasons in '23 and '24. The question is how are the Cubs going to get from there to 90-plus wins?
Something needs to change,. With Bellinger back, Hoyer will have to be creative to make it happen.
