A week into spring training, the Cubs made perhaps their biggest move of the offseason, bringing back Cody Bellinger on a three-year, $80 million contract.  Bellinger, who was looking for a long-term deal in the $200 million neighborhood, has the ability to opt-out of the deal after the first two seasons.

Bellinger, who won the 2019 NL MVP award for the Dodgers, had a strong season with the Cubs in 2023 after years of injuries and struggles knocked his career trajectory off track.  He notched his highest totals in home runs, RBIs, average, OPS+, and WAR since that 2019 season.  Hoping to turn that success into long-term security, he turned down his option for the 2024 season and became a free agent.  The deal he was looking for, however, was nowhere to be found, likely because he has to prove that last year’s performance was the start of a trend and not a one-time resurrection.