The New York Yankees still appear to be the favorites to retain Cody Bellinger in free agency this winter. However, it was recently reported by Brendan Kuty of the Athletic that Bellinger and his agent Scott Boras turned down an offer from the Yankees that would have earned Bellinger at least $30 million per year due to the Yankees not willing to give Bellinger the seven year deal he’s looking for.
With that being said, Bellinger’s market is still messy and unclear, which may give a few sleeper teams in the sweepstakes a chance to swoop in and land the former MVP. The Mets, Giants, and Cubs seem to be the other teams other than the Yankees generating the most buzz as potential suitors, while the Blue Jays and Dodgers are still hanging around as teams to keep an eye on.
Don't count out the Diamondbacks in the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes
While those large market teams are in the best position to land Bellinger in what is likely going to be an overpay if he does in fact get what he’s looking for, the Arizona Diamondbacks are a team no one seems to be talking about as one that could feasibly sign Bellinger. The Diamondbacks have put together a recent track record of surprising some people in free agency and there’s no reason they can’t do it again this year.
A few weeks ago, the Diamondbacks emerged as a suitor for Alex Bregman who very likely will make more money than Cody Bellinger in free agency, so the snakes do appear to be looking to make a big splash. Bellinger just might be the splash they’re looking for.
For starters, Arizona will be missing their left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. For a large portion of 2026 due to a torn ACL he sustained late last season. Bellinger is somewhat of a swiss army knife defensively, being able to handle all three outfield positions as well as first base at an at least league-average level. In fact, Bellinger spent most of his time in left field for the Yankees a year ago where he had seven defensive runs saved and four outs above average. Across all three outfield spots, he had 12 defensive runs saved and six outs above average.
He would slot in well defensively in the outfield and there would likely be some availability for him to get some time at first base as well. As it stands now, the Diamondbacks outfield consists of a combination of Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, Blaze Alexander, and Jake McCarthy - an excellent defensive outfield which Bellinger would only improve with his versatility.
Cody Bellinger fills a big hole in the Diamondbacks' lineup
While Bellinger would fill a much needed hole in left field, his glove would only be a plus on top of what the Diamondbacks would be looking to get from his bat. While they were an excellent outfield defensively in 2025, their offense was carried entirely by Corbin Carroll. Carroll accrued 6.5 of the 8.2 fWAR earned by Arizona’s outfield. Carroll was the only outfielder to produce more than one fWAR and was the only one to post a wRC+ north of 100.
With Gurriel Jr. Out for most of 2026, making an upgrade to the outfield has become a great need for the snakes. Outside of Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, the crop of available outfielders is particularly thin. Tucker is most likely going to make a lot more money than Bellinger in free agency, but Bellinger presents himself as a safer option at his price considering his recent track record of health and success. It’s also worth noting that Boras clients - including Bellinger - have not had a whole lot of success getting the years and dollar amount they have looked for in free agency. So the Diamondbacks probably won’t have to put up $30 million across seven years when it’s all said and done, especially if his free agency drags on into spring.
Bellinger will turn 31 this year and is coming off of arguably his best season since his MVP-winning campaign in 2019. He struck out at a career low rate (13.7%) while hitting the most home runs he has hit in a season since 2019 (29) in 2025, so there isn’t much reason to believe a multi-year deal would be a bad investment at this point in Bellinger’s career. The Diamondbacks have the need and the funds to get it done, so keep an eye on the snakes as a sleeper for Cody Bellinger.