PHOENIX — There’s less than a month until Opening Day, and with March around the corner, this offseason’s top free agents are finally finding their homes. And in the case of Cody Bellinger, he gets to stay at home.

Bellinger became the first of the “Boras Four” to sign Sunday, agreeing with the Chicago Cubs on a three-year, $80 million deal. It’s a full-circle moment for Bellinger, who was able to get back to the best version of himself in 2023 after looking so lost offensively from 2020 to 2022.

When the offseason started, the belief around the industry was that the former NL MVP had played himself into a monster, nine-figure payday. And the concern in Chicago was whether the Cubs would be able to retain the player they helped transform from one of the league’s worst back to one of its best.

Fast-forward to today, and the downsized deal feels like a big win for the Cubs, who let the market come back to them as the winter months wore on.

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Re-signing Bellinger was a must for president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the Cubs. It has been a slow, methodical build for the Cubs’ front office, who have been gradually reshaping the roster since the departures of 2016 World Series heroes Kris Bryant, Javy Báez, Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo.

But after the team narrowly missed the postseason in ‘23, it felt like the time for the Cubs to make a big move had finally come. They started their offseason with a bang by firing David Ross and hiring Craig Counsell from their division-rival Milwaukee Brewers, showing they weren’t afraid to make impactful moves, but they needed to back that up on the player side.

If the Cubs hadn’t re-signed Bellinger, it would’ve created a massive hole in their lineup as currently constructed. Not only would they have lost their best position player from last season, but it also would have been extremely difficult for them to fill that void at this point in the offseason.

Bellinger has been an important part of the team’s recent renaissance and was a catalyst in their nine-win improvement from ‘22 to ‘23. ​​The Cubs were clearly the best fit for the 2023 NL Comeback Player of the Year, and they’re much better with him than without.

Having Bellinger back in the fold makes Chicago’s offseason a lot more well-rounded. The acquisitions of Japanese southpaw Shota Imanaga, late-inning option Hector Neris and prospect Michael Busch, combined with Bellinger’s return, make the team’s hopes of taking another step forward in 2024 far more attainable.

Plus, an underrated part of the Cubs’ offseason is that they were able to improve without moving their top prospects. That leaves them with the prospect capital to make a move at this year’s trade deadline if the opportunity presents itself.

With Bellinger’s deal complete, the Cubs can now approach the rest of spring training and Opening Day with a real opportunity to not only return to the postseason but also win the division. Unlike the top-heavy NL West or AL East, the NL Central seems open for any team that wants to take it.