Cody Bellinger has made his choice obvious.
The New York Yankees' left-handed slugger has a contract opt-out built into his current deal.
His choices:
- Play the 2026 season for $25 million
- Go into free agency
He won't be opting-in after a campaign like this one, writes ESPN's Jeff Passan.
"At 30, Bellinger will be one of the best bats on the market when he turns down his $25 million player option (which includes a $5 million buyout)," Passan writes. "He's on pace to put up his most home runs and RBIs since his 2019 NL MVP campaign and will seek nine figures this winter."
At the time of Passan's article on Thursday, Bellinger was batting .278 with 27 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
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He's been crucial to the Yankees' lineup, which has a lot of right-handed bats.
It's not clear whether the Yanks could keep Bellinger around for a nine-figure deal. Classically, of course, the Yankees pay anyone they want.
But in this new world of a lot of big markets throwing around a ton of money, it's not a given the Yankees would keep Bellinger, especially if things get a little crowded in the positions he plays.
Bellinger has been a boon in the Bronx for sure. Without him, their season wouldn't be going as well.
And he's made himself a pretty penny for the future.
There's just some uncertainty around where that future will take place. Bellinger definitely will have options to choose from.
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