MLB All-Star Cody Bellinger doesn't get $200M asking price, settles with Cubs on 3-year deal: reports

Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Cody Bellinger is back with the Chicago Cubs, reportedly agreeing to a three-year deal with the club. However, it wasn’t at the price tag he was hoping for. 

Bellinger, who had a revitalizing season in Chicago with a .307/.356/.525 slash line last year, reportedly signed for $80 million over the three seasons. 

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports the contract includes two opt-outs after each of the first two years. He’ll earn $30 million in those first two seasons and $20 million in the final year of the contract. Of course, that’s if he doesn’t opt out at any point. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Cody Bellinger of the Cubs watches the flight of a home run against the Kansas City Royals at Wrigley Field on Aug. 19, 2023, in Chicago. (Matt Dirksen/Getty Images)

Bellinger was reportedly looking for a $200 million contract, as he was coming off a solid season. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported the Cubs not wanting to meet that price, though, and no other team seemed to do so either. 

Therefore, Bellinger returns to a team he was clearly comfortable with last season, and if he wants to test the market again over the next two years, the Cubs are giving him the ability to do so. 

MLB UNION RIPS DECISION TO SHORTEN PITCH CLOCK TIME, SAYS PLAYERS EXPRESSED CONCERNS

It’s not uncommon for a Scott Boras-led player to take a deal like this. Carlos Correa did it before the 2022 season when he signed his three-year, $105 million pact with the Minnesota Twins after no other long-term deal was on the table. He ended up opting out after his first season but returned to the Twins on a six-year deal worth $200 million. 

Bellinger, who was