Cody Bellinger examined the market.
He is an enormous identify and as such, he needed to receives a commission huge cash on a pleasant, lengthy contract. In spite of everything, what’s a two-time All-Star, Gold Glover, Silver Slugger and MVP price on the open market?
Apparently not as a lot as Bellinger and his agent, Scott Boras, initially anticipated.
That is to not say Bellinger is not pleased with the brand new deal that introduced him again to Chicago after a 2023 season that noticed him bat .307 with a .881 OPS for the Cubs.
Bellinger finally inked a three-year deal price $80 million and though he was on the lookout for one thing a bit extra long-term, at 28 years outdated, the slugger traded in long-term stability with short-term flexibility. He has opt-outs constructed into his contract that permit him to check free company once more after every of the primary two seasons.
Talking on the dearth of long-term gives that had been out there to Bellinger this offseason, Boras instructed the media that it needed to do with the market.
“There are variables. We’ve some irregularity happening on this present market,” he defined, per ESPN. “We’ve near 11 groups which can be spending much less cash than they did a 12 months go … in gentle of the actual fact we have now document revenues in baseball.”
And what was his message to Bellinger through the lengthy anticipate a brand new contract?
“The chance of you getting what gamers together with your ability set usually get might be not going to be there,” Boras defined. “So it’s important to have one other optimum plan. It features a shorter time period with flex.”
Flexibility is now what Bellinger has, however it’s not like he got here again to Chicago simply due to the contact. He is blissful to once more be with the Cubs.
“I did not disguise the actual fact, internally, that I did need to come again right here,” Bellinger stated. “I really like Wrigley Discipline. I really like the followers. When it was coming in direction of the tip, this was undoubtedly one thing that I needed. And either side agreed. Joyful it labored out the way in which it did.”
