Cody Bellinger has fit the New York Yankees like a glove, making the December trade with the Chicago Cubs an absolute steal.
For the low price of since-released pitcher Cody Poteet, the Yankees got Bellinger and a $5 million cash prize to boot. All the two-time All-Star has done since is become the Yankees’ second-best position player behind Aaron Judge, rack up 3.6 bWAR, and endear himself to a tough-to-please fan base.
Of course, Bellinger also has a decision forthcoming. It’s a decision that seems more obvious by the day, but it’s one the Yankees still might be dreading.
As he enters the final year of what was originally a three-year, $80 million contract signed with the Cubs before last season, Bellinger can opt out of a $25 million salary and pursue free agency.
On Thursday, CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa predicted that Bellinger would indeed exercise that opt-out, forcing the Yankees to outbid the other 29 teams if they want him back.
“(Bellinger has) fit in so well with the Yankees that I would expect them to pursue a reunion, but an extension that makes the opt out moot would surprise me,” wrote Axisa. “Bellinger still is a Scott Boras client, after all, and Boras typically takes his clients out into free agency. To keep him, the Yankees would likely have to win a free-agent bidding war.”
Next year, Bellinger will still be only 30 for the first half of the season. He’s been in our lives as baseball fans for a long time, having won Rookie of the Year back in 2017, but he’s still got a lot of game left to play, and most importantly, he’s aging well even after a rough couple of years.
The Yankees saw one star outfielder leave last winter in Juan Soto. Bellinger, while he doesn’t have Soto’s pure hitting genius, would be nearly as tough a loss to stomach.
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