Cody Bellinger: Officially declines mutual option

Bellinger declined his end of a $12.5 million mutual option with the Cubs on Friday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

This was a no-brainer move for Bellinger, who is certain to be one of the more sought-after hitters on the open market this winter after bouncing back to record a .307/.356/.525 slash line with 26 homers, 97 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 95 runs scored across 130 games with Chicago in 2023. Beyond his offensive upside, the 28-year-old former NL MVP also rates well defensively in center field and would be a fit for a number of clubs.