4 Chicago Cubs who won't be back in 2025 after Cody Bellinger contract
By Mark Powell
The Chicago Cubs have signed Cody Bellinger to a three-year contract worth $80 million. The deal has several opt-outs in it, thus allowing Bellinger to test the waters again after next season if he chooses.
For now, though, Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office should pop some champagne, as the contract is considered a win for Chicago. Bellinger's asking price at the beginning of the offseason was said to be around $200 million. The Cubs got him for $80 million. Enough said.
If Bellinger has another season like last year's, odds are he will test the market again and force the Cubs to pay up to keep his services. Scott Boras has been here before, perhaps in a more dramatic twist with his client Carlos Correa. In Bellinger's case, he is perfectly healthy, but needs to prove he's back with another MVP-caliber season.
For the sake of this article, we are assuming Bellinger can replicate his 2023 campaign, in which he slashed .307/.356/.525 as the centerpiece in Chicago's lineup. Bellinger's future with the Cubs -- and the money he may earn along the way -- could impact how Hoyer builds this club in the years to come.
4. Dom Smith signed with the Cubs this season, but won't be back in 2025
The Chicago Cubs took a flyer on Dom Smith just last week before signing Bellinger. Smith has experience at first base and should slide in their behind Michael Busch, who the Cubs acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter.
Smith is a fine bench piece, but there's a reason he signed a one-year deal. Should he play well, the Cubs won't be inclined to keep him long-term at his asking price given Busch is already their long-term option. If he struggles, Hoyer and Co. can dump Smith as early as midseason. There's little-to-no risk here for the Cubs.
Perhaps working against Smith even more is the fact that Bellinger doubles as a backup first baseman -- he even played some games there last season with the Cubs were lacking a better option than Busch. Smith's future in the Windy City is limited.