Pass or Pursue: Should the Cubs re-sign these 5 free agents this offseason?

Cody Bellinger, OF

And last but not least, of course, we come to Cody Bellinger, who was easily the Chicago Cubs' MVP for the 2023 season.

Heading into Sunday's finale against the Brewers, the former Dodger had a slash line of .307/.356/.525 while leading the team in both home runs (26) and runs batted in (97). So it's fair to say he was worth the $12 million base salary Chicago paid him this year (incentives and bonuses pushed his earnings closer to $18 million).

There's a mutual option worth another $12 million on the table for 2024, but there's no way Bellinger opts in as his bounceback season has put him in position to command perhaps double that amount moving forward.

And make no mistake about it. He'll have plenty of suitors the moment he enters free agency.

Still only 28 years old, Bellinger has clearly shown he's still got the tools he did when he won the 2019 NL MVP. And if the Cubs' season had gone better overall, he'd likely be a bigger part of the conversation for that award this year.

So, should the Cubs enter the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes? Yes, they should. They failed to pay any of their big stars when the World Series-winning team was dismantled a few years back, upsetting the fan base.

David Ross needs a star to build around, and Bellinger is that guy. The question is whether or not the Ricketts family is ready to open up the checkbook and pay the two-time All-Star what he's worth, which could very well be $25 million (or more) per season.

We'll find out soon enough.

Verdict: Pursue