The New York Yankees need Cody Bellinger back. The problem is, after his season in the Bronx, now, half the league thinks they want him too. And with the Giants now checking in and t he Mets lurking, the player they’ve targeted since October is suddenly the offseason’s most complicated waiting game.
According to The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser, the Giants “have checked in on” the 30-year-old outfielder, a development that matters more than it sounds. A West Coast team with money, need and proximity to Bellinger’s Arizona home base is exactly the kind of threat the Yankees didn’t need entering December.
Bellinger is coming off one of his most complete offensive seasons, slashing.272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs over 656 plate appearances. After failing to secure the long-term deal he sought in the 2023-24 winter, he has positioned himself far better this time.
And his agent, Scott Boras, knows it.
This is why the process feels slow.
The Mets remain one of the most logical fits. His defensive versatility is exactly the kind of flexibility they now need after losing Pete Alonso. He could play first base, center field, left field — whatever the roster requires. The Yankees, of course, prefer he stays in the Bronx rather than help reshape Queens.
But recent reporting from SNY’s Andy Martino and YES Network’s Jack Curry suggests a new concern: the Yankees may get priced out. And that was before San Francisco rejoined the chat.
So what’s the holdup?
Tucker is expected to land one of the offseason’s biggest contracts, and Boras has a long history of letting one marquee deal dictate the market for another. If Tucker signs first, that contract instantly becomes a reference point for Bellinger’s negotiations.
Until then, the Yankees wait. And the longer they wait, the more the market shifts around them. The Giants’ interest raises the pressure. The Mets’ need raises the pressure. And Bellinger’s own patience is only increasing his value.
The Yankees want him back. He still fits what they need. But with more teams entering the race and the timeline stretching, the question isn’t just when Bellinger signs — it’s whether the Yankees will still be standing when the music stops.
