The New York Yankees are expected to land one of the top free agents available this offseason.
New York got some great news on Tuesday with Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer to return to the team. Now, MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported that the Yankees are the ‘clear favorites’ to sign Cody Bellinger this offseason.
“The Yankees and Bellinger were a perfect match, and a reunion here makes sense for both parties. Yankee Stadium is built perfectly for his swing, evidenced by Bellinger’s .912 career OPS in the Bronx, and his positional versatility gives manager Aaron Boone lineup options. New York is the clear favorite to sign Bellinger,” Feinsand wrote.
The Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs in a cap dump, and he had a great year in the Bronx.
Bellinger can play all three outfield positions for the Yankees and be an impact hitter. Last season with the Yankees, he hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. He’s a two-time All-Star and was the NL MVP in 2019.
Bellinger Expected to Have a Great Market
The Yankees made a bold move to acquire Bellinger, and the move paid off.
Bellinger was a star hitter for the Yankees, and his play has helped his free agent market, according to one AL executive.
“This should be the best market he’s had,” said an American League executive to MLB.com. “He was a real difference-maker for the Yankees this season.”
Bellinger opted out of the final year and $25 million of the three-year, $80 million deal he signed with the Cubs prior to the 2024 season, as he’s looking to get a lucrative multi-year deal.
MLBTradeRumors predicts Bellinger will sign a five-year, $140 million deal.
“Bellinger didn’t get the colossal long-term deal he and the Boras Corporation surely sought coming off his original 2023 rebound season with the Cubs, but it was a no-brainer for him to opt out of the final season of his current deal when it was a net $20MM decision,” the article read.
“Bellinger, who cannot receive a qualifying offer after receiving one earlier in his career, has already banked $77MM since being non-tendered by the Dodgers. And he’s now firmly in position to get the nine-figure deal that eluded him in the 2023-24 offseason.”
Bellinger is a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Yankees Want to Bring Bellinger Back
Bellinger is one of the top free agents available, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is hoping to bring him back.
At the GM meetings, Cashman confirmed New York wants to bring Bellinger back.
“He was a terrific addition for us last year,” Cashman said at the GM meetings. “He played a big role in the amount of success we wound up having. Certainly, we’d love to have him come back to us.
“We’d be better served if we can retain him. But if not, then we’ll have to look at alternative ways to fill it and see where that takes us. It’s pretty early in the process. But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Of course we’d like to have him back.”
Bellinger hit .214 with 1 home run and 4 RBIs in the playoffs.
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