Cody Bellinger showed last season why he fits so well in the Bronx. His left-handed swing played to Yankee Stadium’s gaps, his athleticism covered center field in a way the Yankees badly needed, and his bat stretched a lineup that leaned too heavily on Aaron Judge. He looked like the kind of player the Yankees could anchor their winter around. The challenge now is that the rest of the league saw the same thing.
The B lue Jays are among the teams showing early interest, and that makes this a real intradivision race. Toronto needs an impact left-handed bat to keep atop the American League East and views Bellinger’s versatility as a clean fit for both center field and first base. The Dodgers remain involved because they want a left-handed run producer behind Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. The Phillies make sense, too, especially if they lose Kyle Schwarber. And the Mets have been linked, though their situation is more complicated. They like Bellinger’s defense and athleticism, but their lineup already skews heavily left-handed, and their bigger need is right-handed power behind Francisco Lindor.
Bellinger put himself in this position with one of his strongest seasons in years.
He hit.268 with 32 home runs, 94 RBIs and an.846 OPS for the Cubs, earning a 124 OPS+ and 4.1 WAR on Baseball-Reference. He remained a rare 20-homer, 20-steal threat. Baseball Savant measured a 44-percent hard-hit rate, a 12-percent barrel rate and sprint speed inside MLB’s top tier. FanGraphs ranked him ninth among outfielders in WAR and credited him with above-average defense at all three outfield positions and first base.
For the Yankees, the fit hasn’t changed.
Bellinger’s defense solves center field, his left-handed bat balances their lineup, and his swing path remains one of the better matches for their ballpark. What has changed is the field around them. Toronto is pushing. The Dodgers and Phillies are motivated. The Mets are in the picture even if the fit isn’t perfect.
The Yankees still make sense for Bellinger. They just may have to work harder to keep him.