
On his way to becoming one of the top two free agent hitters available this winter, center fielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger declined a qualifying offer from the Cubs.
The move was essentially procedural but guarantees draft pick compensation for the Cubs if Bellinger signs with another team. He was one of seven players who rejected $20.325 million qualifying offers from their clubs, the MLB Players Association announced Tuesday, including Shohei Ohtani, this winter’s biggest free agent.