The Cubs enter 2025 with an excellent opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time under Jed Hoyer. Cody Bellinger's decision will help determine Hoyer's path, but the club will be seeking help at catcher and in the rotation and bullpen.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Dansby Swanson, SS: $132MM through 2029
- Ian Happ, LF: $38MM through 2026
- Seiya Suzuki, DH/RF: $36MM through 2026
- Jameson Taillon, SP: $36MM through 2026
- Nico Hoerner, 2B: $23.5MM through 2026
- Shota Imanaga, SP: $13MM through 2025, then a $57MM three-year club option or $15MM player option
Option Decisions
- Cody Bellinger, RF/CF/DH/1B: $27.5MM player option with a $2.5MM buyout. Also has a $25MM player option for '26 with a $5MM buyout
- Drew Smyly, RP: $10MM mutual option with a $2.5MM buyout
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; salary projections via Matt Swartz)
- Yency Almonte (5.143): $2.2MM
- Christian Bethancourt (5.023): $2.5MM
- Mike Tauchman (4.143): $2.9MM
- Julian Merryweather (4.109): $1.3MM
- Nick Madrigal (4.087): $1.9MM
- Patrick Wisdom (4.058): $3MM
- Adbert Alzolay (4.050): $2.3MM
- Trey Wingenter (4.049): $1.4MM
- Nate Pearson (4.005): $1.4MM
- Isaac Paredes (3.160): $6.9MM
- Justin Steele (3.143): $6.4MM
- Jimmy Herget (3.069): $900K
- Colten Brewer (3.063): $800K
- Keegan Thompson (3.006): $1MM
- Non-tender candidates: Almonte, Bethancourt, Merryweather, Madrigal, Wisdom, Alzolay, Wingenter, Herget, Brewer
Free Agents
The Cubs' splashy hiring of Craig Counsell last November had minimal impact this year, as the club posted the same 83-79 record it had under David Ross in 2023. A 17-10 April record created some optimism, but the Cubs went 65-67 thereafter and were mostly out of the playoff race by July. Let's take a look around the Cubs' roster and figure out how president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer might go about creating a 90-win team for 2025, a particularly ripe opportunity with the Cardinals taking a rare step back.
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Unclemike1525
Players I would Non Tender
Almonte, Alzolay,Madrigal, Wisdom, Tauchman, Brewer, Herget.
I’d keep:
Bethancourt, Merryweather,Pearson, Thompson, Wingenter.
I’d keep Bethancourt unless something better came along. I expect Ballesteros and Aliendo to start out splitting time at C at Iowa.
Obviously lose Hendricks and Smyly.
I’d trade Bellinger if he opts in. And I’d make sure he knew it now.
I’d chase Burnes and Scott as FA’s and maybe Lopez..
But Hoyer will probably do nothing. Hope I’m wrong.
douglasb
Cubs fans were kind of crowing about getting Bellinger on a lesser contract than his agent normally gets. He had an ok year. Why would you turn on him now? The Cubs are the ones who made the offer.
Unclemike1525
Because I’m not turning on him. Bellinger and the Boras clients were drowning and going down for the 3rd time and here comes Jed and not only threw him a lifeline but gave him the keys to his house and his car. With the emergence of Busch and PCA he really doesn’t fit anymore and isn’t needed anymore and is way over priced. Like him as a player and a person because he’s a good dude but I can think of a lot of other uses for the 25 million they’d save this year and next. Nothing Belli does is anything Busch and PCA can’t do cheaper. And I’d rather have Burnes than Belli at this point and time.