The New York Yankees have a clear need this winter in the outfield. While Trent Grisham is back on a one-year $22.025 million deal, the Yankees still need to add one more outfielder.
Re-signing Cody Bellinger is a real possibility, as is signing Kyle Tucker to a massive contract. But, of the two, Bellinger returning to New York is the more likely outcome. He'll be significantly cheaper and is already familiar with the Yankees.
However, Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicts that the Yankees will lose Bellinger in free agency. While that's not unlikely, the predicted landing spot would be a surprising one, as this NL Central club is not typically a big spender.
Cody Bellinger predicted to surprise Yankees with $168 million free agent decision with NL Central club
"Cody Bellinger surprises and signs a 6-year, $168 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates," Bowden predicts. "The deal will shock everyone, because the Pirates would actually be spending money and Bellinger would be willing to go there."
Bellinger ditching the Yankees, and any other top contender to sign a long-term deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, would be one of, if not the most surprising, moves of the offseason.
Bowden predicts that Bellinger joins the Pirates on a huge $168 million deal over six seasons and becomes the biggest contract the Pirates have dished out in recent history.
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While there have been reports that the Pirates could be big spenders this winter, outbidding the Yankees for a player that New York is trying to keep would be a complete surprise.
While the Pirates' spending this much is already hard to believe, Bellinger agreeing to join the Pirates, especially with Bowden's predicted lack of a no-trade clause, would be even more stunning.
This would be a wild and brutal move from the Yankees' perspective. Not only would they lose Bellinger, but they would also lose him to a completely unexpected Pirates team, which isn't expected to spend big this winter.
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