Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Yankees are remaining firm on their price for Cody Bellinger, avoiding a situation where they bid against themselves unnecessarily as the two sides remained lock in a stalemate.
He also noted that despite the metaphorical stand-off, the two sides are expected to eventually reach an agreement on a deal, but that situation remains fluid.
Without a deal officially done, all it takes is one call from any team to change what Bellinger’s decision ultimately ends up being this winter.
The Yankees have made it clear that he’s their priority, but they also seem unwilling to overextend themselves to retain the left-handed hitting outfielder for the next few seasons.
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Are We Entering the Final Stages of the Yankees-Cody Bellinger Free Agency Window?
Brian Cashman has not done anything to shy away from the fact that the Yankees want to retain Cody Bellinger, telling the media on numerous occassions that they’re hoping to have him back for 2026.
Throughout free agency these two sides have remained in contact, and Bellinger could finally be nearing a decision after weeks of a back-and-forth between the Yankees and the left-handed hitting outfielder.
When the offseason began it was expected that the Yankees would face stiff competition, and while teams like the Mets and Dodgers are rumored to at least be lurking, their interest doesn’t seem to be as intense as expected initially.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the team has a formal offer on the table and it was submitted last week, this coming after he reported that the Yankees were confident that he wouldn’t bolt to the Mets.
Whether these reports are being thrown out there to bait the Mets or another contender into making a higher offer or not remains to be seen, but the free agent saga seems to be coming to a head.
Both the Yankees and Cody Bellinger would likely want a resolution sooner rather than later, and it feels as if a decision could be made by the former MVP sooner rather than later.
The elite defense that he brings in left field alongside the power he has with that Yankee Stadium boost are things the Yankees covet a lot, but they aren’t going to do something completely unreasonable to keep him without reason.
Jack Curry mentioned that the Yankees want him back ‘on their own terms’ and the organization has certainly acted in a manner to prove that to be 100% true; but will it work out in the end for them?