ESPN Reports: The Ricketts Family, owner of the Chicago cubs, has announced that Craig Counsell will no longer serve as head coach…..

Cody Bellinger’s contract decisions will set the tone for the Chicago Cubs summer.

Some have speculated that, due to his lack of power last season, veteran outfielder Josh Bellinger may opt out of his contract next offseason rather than use his $27MM player option for the 2025 season. Typically, clients of Scott Boras choose free agency in such situations.

As the 2024 season came to a close, it appeared like Bellinger was on the fence about whether to return to the Cubs in 2025 or not. Speculation, however, has changed in the past several weeks, and now some believe that Bellinger will really try out free agency.

On Wednesday, Jacob Zanolla of the Ivy League Cubs claimed that Bellinger is seriously considering testing the waters of free agency by opting out of his current deal with the Cubs, adding fuel to the fire of speculation.

The tide is turning in Bellinger’s favor as he seeks a new contract this offseason. If that’s the case, the Cubs probably won’t be as eager to re-sign Bellinger this offseason compared to last.Given Cody Bellinger’s decision to opt out of his contract, the Cubs will have a great deal of leeway to maneuver this winter.
Not only would the Cubs gain an extra $52.5MM in financial flexibility next season if Bellinger opted out of his contract, but they would also have almost $100MM in cap space this offseason before returning to last season’s payroll levels.

With Bellinger, the Cubs find themselves in a peculiar scenario. The Cubs probably wouldn’t have a problem with Bellinger on their team because he is a solid player overall. The Cubs would have to hope that Bellinger repeats his 2023 performance in 2025 at a level of performance commensurate with the $27.5MM price tag, or face the same roster limitations they encountered last season. Now here’s the rub: the Cubs can’t just celebrate Bellinger’s decision to sit out the season since it opens the door for Owen Caissie. Even though he won’t be the Cubs’ main focus this offseason, Owen Caissie will undoubtedly have an impact on their Major League squad in the next season.