Cody Bellinger is one of the most coveted outfielders on the open market this winter, making it the second year in a row that a New York Yankees outfielder could leave the franchise.
Last offseason, the Yankees pushed hard to retain Juan Soto, bidding upwards of $760 million to keep the MVP candidate in the Bronx long-term. However, it didn’t work out, and Soto signed with the New York Mets instead.
After losing Soto, the Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs. In turn, Bellinger was a key piece to the Yankees in 2025, hitting.272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs, and playing exceptional defense across all three outfield spots and even a little bit of action at first base as he displayed his versatility all season long.
Now faced with another key free agency period, SNY’s Andy Martino doesn’t believe the Yankees will engage in a bidding war similar to that of Soto’s in their pursuit of Bellinger this offseason.
“The Yankees want him, but this isn't a Juan Soto thing where they're just going to keep bidding and bidding and bidding,” Martino said.
Nonetheless, the Yankees will try to bring back one of their key pieces from last season. Although the isn’t the MVP winning player he once was, Bellinger still brings plenty of positive impact on both sides of the diamond that could benefit the Yankees.
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