‘Resurgent MVP’ Cody Bellinger, 29, was a late signing. He stayed with the Cubs. It wasn’t the deal super-agent Scott Boras wanted.
ESPN reporter Jeff Passan announced on his social media accounts that Bellinger had agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract with the Cubs.
The terms of the deal are lucrative: ‘He has a guaranteed opt-out for the first two years. He’ll make $30 million this year, $30 million in 2025 if he doesn’t opt out, and $20 million in 2026 if he doesn’t exercise his second option.
Bellinger made his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017 and won the National League Rookie of the Year award after hitting 39 home runs. His career began in the spotlight, and in 2019, Bellinger batted .305 (170-for-558) with 47 home runs, 115 RBIs, and a 1.035 OPS in 156 games, 카지노사이트 earning National League MVP honors in his third year.
But after 2020, Bellinger’s career took a turn for the worse.
During a wild home run celebration in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, he dislocated his right shoulder and underwent surgery after winning the World Series. It was the beginning of his downfall. In 2021, he suffered a string of shin hamstring rib and other injuries, and his downward spiral began. In 2022, he struggled, batting just .211 with 19 home runs, 68 RBIs and a .654 OPS in 144 games. There were no major injuries.
He was released as a non-tender after the 2022 season and signed a one-year, $17.5 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. Bellinger’s resurgence came as expected. He rebounded dramatically, batting .499 (153-for-499) with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, and an OPS of .881 in 130 games.
Bellinger and his agent, Boras, wanted more than $200 million over seven years, but his slump was too long and too deep. Bellinger now sees the past year as a fluke. Boras has prepared a strategy to prolong the negotiations. But not many clubs wanted Bellinger. They were interested, but none of them actually offered him a contract.
On January 21,
MLB.com reported that several teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners, had reportedly contacted Bellinger, but no offers were made. The Los Angeles Angels were also interested, but their interest was limited. Bellinger’s $200 million price tag was too much for the Angels, and they didn’t have a team at the start of spring training.
In the end, Bellinger stayed with the Cubs. He got half of what he originally wanted. He had an opt-out clause, leaving the door open for free agency, but he signed for a significantly lower value than he had originally expected.
Lee Jung-Hoo (6 years, $113 million, San Francisco) hit the jackpot, but the majority of Boras’ clients have yet to find a destination. Bellinger barely stayed with the Cubs, 토토사이트 추천 and last year’s National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and infielder Matt Chapman are still unaccounted for. Snell wants nine years and $270 million ($359.8 million), but the New York Yankees have offered six years and $150 million ($200 million). Snell and Boras have agreed to these terms, but no other offers have been made. The question is whether Boras’ strategy is doomed to failure.