To return or not to return -- that is up to Bellinger

PHILADELPHIA -- Cody Bellinger will have all of October to mull how he wants to handle his offseason. He has the choice of staying with the Cubs -- a team that helped revitalize his career and hopes to return to the playoffs in 2025 -- or opting out of his deal in favor of testing free agency.

With only three games to go on the regular-season slate for the North Siders, Bellinger insists that he does not know which direction he is leaning at this point. There are multiple factors he will consider as he weighs a decision that will impact how the Cubs’ front office proceeds with its offseason planning.

“Family is very important,” Bellinger said prior to Wednesday’s 9-6 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. “I’ve got kids now, and that all weighs into your decisions for baseball. From a baseball standpoint, I kind of know what to expect and what I’m looking for. No decision has been made. I honestly have no clue right now.

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“I want to finish out this season having fun and ending on a good note. And then we’ll see what happens with that.”

Bellinger has experienced free agency in each of the past two offseasons, but in very different circumstances. After a run of injuries with the Dodgers, Los Angeles parted ways with Bellinger, who found a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs as a path to help restore his value on the market.

Last season, Bellinger had a strong showing in his debut tour with the Cubs, hitting .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBIs, 95 runs, 20 steals and an .881 OPS. He won a Silver Slugger Award and finished 10th in the NL MVP Award balloting. After declining a mutual option with the Cubs, Bellinger’s free-agent path took him back to Chicago via a three-year, $80 million pact (with an opt-out clause after both 2025 and ‘26).

Bellinger’s situation is complicated as he ponders a third trip into the free-agent waters. He has a $27.5 million salary waiting for him with the Cubs for next season, but there is always the pull of trying to secure a longer deal. That said, Bellinger is also coming off another season in which he played through multiple health setbacks.

“Playing healthy is hard enough,” Bellinger said. “I was playing through some pain, but it was better for me to play through pain than sit on the bench and not contribute at all. And I feel like in the position that I was in, I was able to go out and play and maybe not be at 100%, but still go out and produce and help the team win as much as I could.”

On April 23, Bellinger sustained two fractured ribs when he crashed into Wrigley Field’s brick wall on a leaping catch attempt. He was back on May 7. Then on July 10, Bellinger fractured his left middle finger when he was hit by a pitch. He returned for the game on July 30 and spent a little more than two weeks as a designated hitter until he could throw without issues.

Bellinger’s slugging percentage took a serious hit near the middle of the season, but overall, he maintained a solid level of production. And Bellinger did so while giving the Cubs an option for center field, right field and first base. He even played a little in left field.

“Look, when players like Cody are out, it just affects a lot. They’re not really replaceable,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He had a couple of broken bones, essentially, and he -- in both instances -- got back faster than I think we all envisioned. And in order to do that, he played through some pain, frankly. Just straight-up pain.

“He’s not going to make an excuse for that. But, I think it affects you.”

In Wednesday’s loss, Bellinger chipped in an RBI single in an offensive attack that was led by Nico Hoerner’s two home runs. Through 128 games, Bellinger is now hitting .267/.326/.429 with 18 homers, 23 doubles, 78 RBIs and 72 runs. He entered the night with a 112 OPS+, meaning he was hitting 12% above MLB average.

Bellinger said he was encouraged by the Cubs’ play in the second half and spoke highly of the possibilities for the team in 2025. He obviously has a comfort level with the ballclub, which is another data point as he weighs his options in the coming weeks.

“I definitely see the potential,” Bellinger said. “I see the potential in this clubhouse and with Counsell, and the coaching staff and the talent we have. And I think the understanding of what it takes to win is definitely there.”