Over a month remains before the conclusion of the 2025 Major League Baseball regular season, but it’s never too early to look ahead toward this winter’s free agency.
The top names on the position player market will be Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker and Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, if he decides to opt out of his contract with the American League East club.
How will the New York Yankees approach retaining versatile outfielder Cody Bellinger, if he opts out of the last year of a three-year, $80 million deal he signed with the Cubs last February? If he opts in, Bellinger will earn $25 million next season, but the 30-year-old may test the open market after a tremendous first season in pinstripes.
Astros Listed as Suitable Fit for Cody Bellinger
In recent years, the Houston Astros have seen most of their core 2022 World Series position players move to other teams, either through free agency or trade.
Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, and Yordan Alvarez are the lone survivors of what was a deadly lineup. Chas McCormick remains with the Astros but has suffered significantly in terms of playing time and offensive production.
On August 21, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand listed the Astros as a team that could be a reasonable fit for Bellinger in free agency. Houston could use another left-handed bat to pair with the power-hitting Alvarez, who returned from the injured list on Tuesday night for a matchup with the Colorado Rockies.
Since 2015, the Astros have eliminated the Yankees from the postseason on four separate occasions, and they could look to spoil New York’s fun once again in a different fashion.
“After an uneven 2024 campaign with the Cubs, Bellinger has thrived in the Bronx, belting 24 home runs with 75 RBIs and an .823 OPS in 116 games, putting him on track for his second 4-WAR season in three years,” Feinsand wrote. “The versatile slugger has been a perfect fit for the Yankees, but other teams could try to pry the former NL MVP away from New York with the long-term deal that has evaded him to this point.”
Feinsand also listed the Philadelphia Phillies as a logical fit for the two-time All-Star’s services, but he did not rule out a return to the Yankees as a possibility for Bellinger.
How Can the Yankees Convince Bellinger to Stay?
Bellinger can return to the Yankees in 2026 in one of two ways: by opting in to the final year of his contract, or opting out and negotiating a new deal with New York. The latter will cost the Yankees more money than the former, but it may be worth it, given Bellinger’s production on both sides of the ball in 2025.
There has been minimal discussion about Bellinger’s plans moving forward as the offseason approaches. Surely, Yankees fans would turn a cold shoulder to watching him play for the Astros, but that’s a real possibility if Houston offers him the years and dollar amount he desires.
The Yankees already lost one bidding war for a star outfielder in the recent past, and there’s a strong possibility that general manager Brian Cashman would rather not watch that happen again.
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