The numbers jump off the page before anything else does. Twenty-nine home runs, ninety-eight RBI, nearly five wins above replacement. Cody Bellinger didn’t just fit inside the New York Yankees lineup in 2025. He elevated it. And now the question lingering over the Bronx this winter is whether the team is willing to stretch far enough to keep a player who looked like he’d been built for their ballpark all along.
A crowded outfield creates a complicated picture
The Yankees didn’t enter the offseason with a glaring hole in the outfield. Quite the opposite. Aaron Judge remains the anchor. Giancarlo Stanton still brings power, even if used selectively. Trent Grisham carved out his niche in center, and Jasson Dominguez flashed enough talent to make fans wonder why he wasn’t playing more often. The group was deep enough that quality innings were already hard to distribute.
The lone exception is Cody Bellinger, whose opt-out effectively reopened a spot the club never planned to lose. His absence isn’t devastating in theory, but in practice it shifts the complexion of a unit that worked because it had multiple looks, multiple strengths, and a left-handed hitter who balanced the lineup.
The pursuit is real, but the market’s loud
Conflicting reports bubbled early in the winter, some hinting at lukewarm interest, others pointing to financial hesitation. But Jon Heyman’s reporting cut through the noise. According to him, Bellinger is the Yankees’ number one target, and the team is making a big effort to bring him back. That phrasing matters. A big effort, not a cursory check-in or a courtesy call.
The complication is the market itself. Bellinger is thirty, coming off his best season since his MVP-caliber peak, and seeking a long-term commitment. The ask reportedly starts at seven years, even if the likely range settles at five or six seasons for something in the $140 to $170 million neighborhood. That’s substantial money for any club. For the Yankees, it’s more about projected value than affordability. He doesn’t need to be a superstar every year of the contract, but he has to remain a core piece.
Other organizations are circling, too. They’ve seen the same stat line. They’ve seen the defensive metrics. They’ve seen how he can reshape a batting order. And while the Yankees have leverage in familiarity and ballpark fit, free agency rarely rewards assumptions.
What Bellinger brings to the 2026 Yankees
Bellinger’s 2025 season in pinstripes was more than a rebound year. It was a showcase of his full skill set. His swing isn’t the thunderous, violent thing it was in Los Angeles, but it plays beautifully to Yankee Stadium’s dimensions. Even without elite quality of contact, his approach produced consistent damage. The balance he brought to the lineup was noticeable, and the versatility on the bases and in the field added layers to a roster that thrives on flexibility.
Four-point-nine fWAR doesn’t happen by accident. It reflects a player who impacted the game in every phase, and the Yankees don’t have another outfielder who replicates that blend besides Judge. Dominguez might get there one day, but he’s not there yet. Grisham’s defense has eroded a bit. Stanton’s usage is limited.
A multi-year deal is always a bet on future performance, and Bellinger’s profile has its quirks. But the version the Yankees saw last season looked sustainable enough to justify the pursuit.
Where this could go next
If New York truly has him at the top of its board, history suggests the Yankees usually close the deal. Maybe not immediately. Maybe not at the full ask. But priority targets rarely slip through their fingers when the commitment is genuine. Still, free agency is the one arena where certainty doesn’t really exist.
The Yankees know what they look like with Cody Bellinger. They also know what’s missing without him. How they reconcile those two truths may decide whether 2026 has the punch they’re envisioning or a familiar feeling of something just slightly incomplete.