The Chicago Cubs and veteran outfielder Cody Bellinger have agreed to terms on a one-year, $17.5 million contract, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Bellinger, 27, brings Gold Glove-caliber defense to the Cubs outfield, plus speed on the bases, and bounce back potential despite his struggles at the plate Bellinger is still a former National League MVP.
Bellinger earned the honors back in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he batted .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs, 115 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. But since then Bellinger has batted just .203/.272/.376 over a stretch of 295 regular-season games.
“He’s a really good fit from a perspective of it is great defense, great base running, left-handed bat with the potential to have an uptick offensively,” Cubs manager David Ross said Tuesday from the MLB Winter Meetings.
Bellinger is likely viewed as a placeholder for prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, a top prospect they received from the New York Mets in the Javier Baez trade in 2021.
