Report: Cody Bellinger returning to Cubs in 2025

Former National League MVP Cody Bellinger will earn $27.5 million after opting in for the 2025 season with the Chicago Cubs, per an ESPN report on Saturday.

Bellinger, 29, had an opt-out clause after the 2024 season and could have tested free agency, but he will return for a third season on the north side of Chicago. The Cubs hold a $2.5 million buyout, while Bellinger also has an opt-out after the 2025 season.

An eight-year veteran, Bellinger signed a three-year, $90 million deal with the Cubs before the 2024 season, in which he finished with a .266 batting average, 18 home runs, nine steals and 78 RBIs -- a down year compared to his 2023 numbers (.307, 26, 20, 97).

In 2024, the versatile Bellinger played all three outfield spots and first base.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger was named National League Rookie of the Year in 2017 and NL MVP in 2019, when he also won his only Gold Glove to date and earned one of his two All-Star appearances.

Bellinger, a fourth-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 2013, is a career .259 hitter with 196 home runs and 597 RBIs in 1,005 games with the Dodgers (2017-22) and Cubs (2023-present).

--Field Level Media