Could Cody Bellinger end up exercising his early termination clause and hit free agency again after a down season? A top MLB insider doesn’t think it’s a crazy idea.
The Cubs have been far from a disaster this season, but their 75-70 record entering their game on Wednesday is not what the franchise expected. Especially in the first season of manager Craig Counsell. But part of why Chicago has not performed as well as hoped is because Cody Bellinger hasn’t either.
Unsurprisingly, the former National League MVP had a big year just in time for free agency last season. In 2023 he had his best batting average, home run, RBI, and walks numbers since he won MVP in 2019. He even posted a career-high 20 stolen bases. That is why the Cubs gave him a three-year, $80 million contract in the winter.
The $27.5 million he is making in the first two years of the deal is reportedly less than he was hoping for in free agency and it is why he put an early termination clause in his contract before 2025. However, after posting disappointing numbers in 2024, many think he will remain in Chicago for another season.
Cody Bellinger contract: Three years, $80 million (Early termination in 2025, player option in 2026)
Well, Bleacher Report MLB insider Jon Heyman believes it’s not a lock he passes on his early termination and considers the question of whether he will stay or go a “coin flip” in the offseason.
“He hasn’t quite hit like he did last year. What’s going on with Wrigley Field? No one’s hitting there. Bellinger’s numbers are much better on the road so I wouldn’t just look at his total numbers and say he’s definitely not opting out,” Heyman said Wednesday. “It is a possibility.
“There’s a decent chance that he does opt in. Takes the $27.5 million since there’s another year with another option for $25 million and he can make that decision a year from now when he does have better numbers. But it wouldn’t shock me if he opted out. He’s a terrific player. If he doesn’t want to stick with that $52.5 million and thinks he can do better, it’s not going to shock me.”
Considering the season he has had this year, and the rough season he had in 2021 and 2022, Chicago Cubs fans may be hoping Cody Bellinger bets on himself and gets his money off the books for 2025.
