Former Dodger Cody Bellinger Re-Signs With Chicago Cubs

Cody Bellinger, the best remaining free agent position player in baseball, is re-signing with the Chicago Cubs, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is a three-year, $80 million contract.

The former Dodger fan favorite is coming off a season in which he batted .307 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs for the Chicago Cubs. He finished 10th in National League MVP voting, a remarkable turnaround from a miserable final season in Los Angeles.

Now, he’ll receive a sizable raise from his $12.5 million base salary.

Bellinger slashed .210/.265/.389 for the Dodgers in 2022 and was non-tendered after the season. That ended the Dodgers career of a player who was drafted in 2013, won the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year award, and the MVP award two years later. 

In 15 postseason series with the Dodgers, Bellinger hit nine home runs, collected 33 RBIs and went 14-for-15 in stolen base attempts.

Bellinger was a shell of his former self at the plate in the wake of a shoulder injury he sustained celebrating a home run in the 2020 NLCS. Bellinger followed up his 2020 campaign, in which he hit 12 home runs in 56 games, with 10 homers and a .165 average in 2021. He missed 67 games that year due to injuries.

The Dodgers were always a longshot to re-sign Bellinger this past offseason. They have the reigning runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award, James Outman, in center field – Bellinger’s primary position. They filled out the rest of their outfield by re-signing Jason Heyward, trading for Manuel Margot, and signing Teoscar Hernández to a one-year contract.

With Freddie Freeman signed through 2027, Bellinger was also blocked from playing first base, his original position with the Dodgers.

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!