Jon Heyman of the New York Post mentioned that the Yankees are in ‘do-or-die’ and that this will either get done in the next couple of days or not with Cody Bellinger.
Reports came out in droves over the last few days regarding their five-year $155 million offer to Bellinger which his camp has not accepted, creating frustration with where talks are at between the two sides.
Scott Boras wants a seven-year contract while the Yankees are pointing to the rest of the market and asking where that term is coming from, preparing for a potential pivot plan that doesn’t include the star outfielder.
With weeks to go until Spring Training kicks off the team is trying to avoid having this drag out into February, and they’re going to begin applying pressure for this to either happen or walk away if it does not.
Cody Bellinger and the Yankees Seem to Be Nearing a Negotiation Conclusion
The Yankees have made it clear all throughout the offseason that signing Cody Bellinger is their top priority, but they have made it even clearer in the last few days that they will walk away instead of letting this drag out further.
New York submitted a five-year $155 million offer for Bellinger at some point last week according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic who was first to report the exact details of the deal.
It’s an offer that the team is unwilling to budge on given the AAV, but they have been willing to make some changes to the deal to include both a signing bonus and a player opt-out that would allow him to hit the market again.
Following the trade for Ryan Weathers, the Yankees are remaining engaged on numerous fronts with pitching depth to trade from now that they have another starter in the mix.
If the Yankees want to have their best lineup for 2026 given their realistic interests, Cody Bellinger’s return is their best bet, but they will not be delayed from making other moves to wait for him much longer.
There is a feeling around the organization that they are confident in their offer being the top one that the outfielder receives, but whether he accepts it or not remains to be seen.
Cody Bellinger’s negotiations with the Yankees could be coming to an end soon; whether it concludes with a reunion in the Bronx or not is up in the air.