Cody Bellinger is a player the Yankees want back, as every outlet has noted, but Andy Martino is reporting that there’s a sense inside the organization that they could be swimming in uncomfortable waters for his services.
He notes that unlike the Juan Soto situation, where the team kept bidding beyond what they initially were willing to go to, Bellinger doesn’t strike them as the kind of player to push past limits for.
A volatile player since being non-tendered by the Dodgers, there are reasons to both believe in and be skeptical of what the next half decade looks like for Cody Bellinger and what he’d be worth.
The athleticsm and versatility are big pluses, but the offense away from the Bronx and the age are two big variables that could prevent teams, including the Yankees, from making a crazy-high offer.
Martino noted that the Mets, depending on the outcome with Pete Alonso, could be in the mix for his services among other teams.
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Why Cody Bellinger Isn’t Viewed as Must-Have Player By the Yankees
A top 10 position player in the American League last season if you use FanGraphs’ version of WAR (4.9), it’s hard to imagine that the Yankees wouldn’t be making a full-court press for Cody Bellinger.
The athletic outfielder provided excellent value with his glove and was a productive hitter as well, mashing against both lefties and righties, but there’s more to this story than his 2025 numbers.
When the Yankees acquired Bellinger, he came at a significantly reduced cost as Chicago simply dumped the contract in exchange for Cody Poteet, who they DFA’d before May.
After an excellent 2023 season the then 28-year-old struggled to get a serious market and settled for a three-year contract with a high AAV.
His Expected OPS was not too far off his OPS away from Yankee Stadium in 2025, and entering his age-31 season, few organizations seem willing to bid beyond five years to land him in free agency.
The current left fielder on the roster is former top prospect Jasson Dominguez, who has been right in the middle of trade talks all winter.
It was an up-and-down season for the switch-hitting outfielder, who lost his job to Trent Grisham and his breakout season in 2025, but the Yankees wouldn’t be completely opposed to running him back out in left field.
While I’ve personally predicted that his time in New York would end this winter, a departure of Bellinger would certainly complicate such an ordeal.
An addition of a right-handed platoon outfielder such as Austin Hays could solidify their outfield and allow the team to focus on other additions whether it’s to their infield or pitching staff.
GM Brian Cashman stressed that a reunion with Cody Bellinger is still in play, but also lamented that the team lacked balance and front-end rotation talent due to the injuries to Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole.