CHICAGO — Cody Bellinger picked up his $27.5 million player option with the Chicago Cubs, answering a major offseason question for the team.

A person familiar with the move confirmed the decision on Saturday on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced by the team.

Bellinger batted .266 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs in 130 games this year. He was on the injured list from April 24 to May 7 with a fractured right rib.

He drove in 33 runs in the final 39 games of the season, but Chicago finished with an 83–79 record and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

Bellinger, who played first base and center field, spent his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the NL MVP in 2019, batting .305 with 47 homers and 115 RBIs in 156 games. He also helped Los Angeles win the World Series in 2020.

He left the Dodgers in November 2022 and signed a one-year, $17.5 million deal with Chicago a month later. He regained his form with the Cubs, hitting a career-best .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBIs and 20 steals in 130 games last season.

After testing free agency, Bellinger agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract with Chicago in February. The two-time All-Star also has a $25 million player option for 2026, with a $5 million purchase option payable in equal installments on January 15, 2026 and January 15, 2027.

Bellinger is a .259 hitter with 196 homers and 597 RBIs in 1,005 career games. He turns 30 in July.

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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.