Jim Bowden of The Athletic is reporting that Cody Bellinger is nearing a decision, as the Yankees are among teams interested in the left-handed outfielder’s services.
Reports from the last week have indicated that the Mets could be the team’s biggest challenger, although they’re unwilling to extend an offer with more term to Bellinger than the Yankees’ five-year offer.
Whether the team ends up with their no. 1 priority or not remains to be seen, but they’ve made it clear that their current offer is their final one.
Both the Yankees and Mets could use an outfielder, but whether Bellinger wants to hit the market soon again or not will ultimately determine his final decision it seems.
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Cody Bellinger’s Decision is Expected to Come Soon, Yankees Hoping For a Reunion
Cody Bellinger hit 29 home runs for the Yankees last season while providing elite outfield defense, and they’re hoping his first season in the Bronx isn’t his only one.
With the Mets pursuing Bellinger as well, there’s certainly a degree of uncertainty inside the Yankees’ front office when it comes to his odds of returning.
It’s been reported that Bellinger wants a seven-year contract but no team has hit that mark to this point, with the understanding being that the Yankees’ five-year $160 million offer is the one with the most term on the table.
Whether reports that David Stearns and the Mets wouldn’t be willing to match that term or not end up being true remains to be seen, but the interest seems to be only on a shorter-term deal.
The three-year $126 million contract structure handed out to Bo Bichette by the Mets could serve as a template for Cody Bellinger depending on how high the Mets are willing to go payroll-wise.
A $337 million payroll is certainly not enough for Steve Cohen to go pencils down on the offseason, but how much in AAV will they have to offer to beat the Yankees’ five-year $160 million offer?
Bells and whistles such as two player opt outs and a supposedly big signing bonus complicate matters beyond the immediate $32 million AAV value.
For example, if the signing bonus is $20 million, it would raise the total value of the contract to $180 million, a mark that could be hard for him to beat over five years if he got the $42 million from the Mets and opted out.
Time will tell if he ends up coming back or not, but that decision and where he ends up is still murky.