Bellinger declined his end of a $12.5 million mutual option with the Cubs on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
This was a no-brainer move for Bellinger, who is certain to be one of the more sought-after hitters on the open market this winter after bouncing back to record a .307/.356/.525 slash line with 26 homers, 97 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 95 runs scored across 130 games with Chicago in 2023. Beyond his offensive upside, the 28-year-old former NL MVP also rates well defensively in center field and would be a fit for a number of clubs.
Bellinger is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Milwaukee.
The Cubs won Saturday but were still eliminated from postseason contention, so Bellinger will sit for the final game of the campaign. The 28-year-old enjoyed a resurgent year with an .881 OPS, 26 homers, 20 steals and 97 RBI in 130 contests. He's likely to decline his $12 million mutual option for 2024 and should be a hot commodity as a free agent in the offseason.
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Cubs' Cody Bellinger: Tallies three hits in loss
Rotowire
Bellinger went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to Atlanta.
All three hits were singles, but Bellinger will take it after going hitless in his previous three games. He's still batting a robust .309 this season, though that's dipped a little bit in September, albeit to a still-solid .280. The Cubs will need Bellinger to produce over the final few games if they want to advance to the playoffs.
