Moreover, if Bellinger opts out in 2025, he's a free agent without a QO.
There's a case to be made, under the current system, for a player to just accept a QO, because it's a one-time thing (clubs are not permitted to QO a player a second time), and then hit the open market without that impediment a year later.
Probably easier for non-pitchers than pitchers, because the major injury risk is substantially lower.
