The New York Yankees have a few reasons to be disappointed as they watch their strong start to the season erode into frail grasp on a wild card spot, but they can’t complain about Cody Bellinger.
After acquiring the former Most Valuable Player Award winner from the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Cody Poteet, and receiving some cash from the Cubs to offset his salary in the process, the Yankees have enjoyed a resurgent season from Bellinger. He is slashing .274/.328/.489 with 20 homers so far while playing defense all over the field.
But that individual success might also mean Bellinger ends up being a one and done in the Bronx. He has the chance to opt out of his contract at the end of this season and seek a new one, and it seems likely he has the chance to make a lot more money if he does so.
“An annual salary north of $20MM for a 30-year-old corner outfielder who’s posted a .283/.337/.481 slash line in nearly 1,600 plate appearances since 2023 — particularly one who can capably handle center field or first base — should be attainable, which means Bellinger has a real chance to sign for more than $100MM on the open market this time around,” Steve Adams wrote for MLB Trade Rumors.
Of course, the Yankees could opt to re-sign Bellinger to the kind of long-term deal that his strong season has earned. But that seems pretty unlikely since the Yankees already have several significant financial commitments on the books and have Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez set as long-term outfield options with top prospect Spencer Jones waiting in the wings to join them.
As a result, Bellinger will be exiting his current contract with a strong chance to land a new, nine-figure one from some other team.
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