The sticker shock is setting in. You can almost feel the hesitation coming from the front office as the New York Yankees assess a free agent landscape that has quickly become more expensive than originally thought. General Manager Brian Cashman is in a position where he needs to level with the fanbase. The priority is clear. The team wants to bring back Cody Bellinger. It makes perfect sense on paper and on the field. We saw it all last year.
Bellinger Fits the Yankees Like a Glove
Bellinger is not the same player who won the MVP in Los Angeles, but he reinvented himself into something arguably more valuable for this specific lineup. He utilized the short porch in right field to perfection. That led to 29 home runs this past season. It wasn’t just about raw power. It was about smart hitting. He tailored his swing to the dimensions of Yankee Stadium.
Beyond the long ball, the underlying numbers tell a story of a matured hitter. Bellinger posted a slash line of .272/.334/.480. That production was 25 percent above the league average. Perhaps the most encouraging sign was his discipline. He cut his strikeout rate to a career-low 13.7 percent.
In a lineup that has often been prone to swinging and missing in big spots, Bellinger offered a necessary contact-oriented balance. Combine that with his ability to play elite defense in the outfield or cover first base, and you have a player who plugs multiple holes at once.
The Threat from Queens
The problem is that the Yankees do not operate in a vacuum. Across town, the Mets are not just watching the market. They are dictating it. They shook up the league by acquiring Marcus Semien and sending Brandon Nimmo out of town. That move solidified their infield but it ripped a massive hole in their outfield.
Steve Cohen is not going to leave that spot vacant. The Mets are positioning themselves to go big. They could make a run at Kyle Tucker to pair with Juan Soto, or they could turn their sights directly on Bellinger.
If Pete Alonso departs, Bellinger becomes even more attractive to the Mets because he offers insurance at first base. The New York Yankees are taking a patient, calculated approach. The Mets are moving with aggression. That contrast is making people in the Bronx nervous.
The Grisham Gamble
While the Bellinger saga plays out, the Yankees made a move that raised more than a few eyebrows. They extended Trent Grisham on the qualifying offer. That is a $22 million commitment for next year. It is fair to wonder if that was the best use of limited resources.
The hope is that Grisham’s offensive adjustments will pay dividends. The team clearly believes there is untapped potential in his bat and that the changes he made last season are legit — at least, that’s what Cashman suggested recently.
However, the defensive metrics in centerfield have been declining. Paying premium money for a glove-first player whose glove is slipping is a risky proposition. If those offensive changes don’t materialize, that contract could look like an albatross very quickly. It restricts flexibility at a time when every dollar counts toward the luxury tax threshold.
This offseason is far from over. We are still in the early innings of the winter. The New York Yankees appear to be reacting to the market rather than setting it. There is plenty of time to pivot, execute trades, and upgrade the roster. The narrative hasn’t been fully written yet. But if they wait too long, they might find that the players who fit their roster best are already wearing different uniforms.