Per Jeff Passan, MLB sources informed ESPN that Cody Bellinger, the center fielder, has reached an agreement with the Cubs on a three-year, $80 million contract, marking the end of his prolonged free agency stint and a return to Chicago following his impressive 2023 season.

Bellinger, aged 28, will have the option to opt out after the first and second years of the deal. He is set to earn $30 million this season, $30 million in 2025 (if he doesn’t opt out after the first year), and $20 million in 2026 (if he doesn’t opt out after the second year).

Despite his aspirations for a lucrative contract after his stellar 2023 performance where he boasted a .307/.356/.525 batting line with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs, Bellinger found himself in a situation akin to Carlos Correa, represented by the same agent, Scott Boras. Like Correa, who signed a three-year, $105 million deal with the Minnesota Twins in 2022 before opting out and subsequently agreeing to a six-year, $200 million contract, Bellinger faced limited market interest.

The deal is contingent on Bellinger passing a physical.

His resurgence in 2023, earning him the National League Comeback Player of the Year award, was fueled by improved health and performance These factors resulted in a significant decrease in his strikeout rate and increased proficiency against left-handed pitchers. Even though Ballinger recently struggled with a lingering shoulder injury from the 2020 playoffs, the Cubs were attracted to his versatility. Being able to use him in both infield and outfield positions.

Bellinger, a former NL Rookie of the Year and NL Most Valuable Player with the Dodgers, experienced a decline in performance during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and subsequent years, leading to his non-tender by the Dodgers in 2022.

He won a Silver Slugger with the Cubs and then opted out of a $25 million option for the current season, Bellinger faced challenges in securing a lucrative contract amid a shrinking pool of teams willing to make significant financial commitments, attributed in part to uncertainties surrounding local television broadcast rights.

By Vincent Quezada

Photo Courtesy of G Fiume/ Getty Images