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Cody Bellinger Set to Return to Cubs in 2025 After Declining to Opt Out of Contract
After another decent season with the Chicago Cubs, outfielder, designated hitter and first baseman Cody Bellinger appears set to stick around for another year.
Bellinger is opting into his contract for 2025, according to a Saturday afternoon report from Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The two-time All-Star will make $27.5 million next season, after which he will have to decide on a player option for 2026.
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The 29-year-old initially signed with the Cubs in Dec. 2022 following a rough final three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bellinger slashed .203/.272/.376 from 2020 to '22 after slashing .278/.368/.559 from 2017 to '19; he had been the National League's Rookie of the Year in '17 and MVP in '19.
Starting from square one, Bellinger hit .307 and won a Silver Slugger for Chicago in 2023. He followed that up with .266/.325/.426 outing in 2024, hitting 18 home runs and driving in 78 runs.
The Cubs open their 2025 season on March 18 against the Dodgers in Tokyo.
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Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .