The New York Yankees nearly destroyed the MLB’s center fielder free agency market this offseason by signing Trent Grisham to a $22.5 million qualifying offer. They can finish the job by bringing back Cody Bellinger.
As FOX Sports’ Deesha Thosar notes, the market beyond Bellinger at center field, where he rarely plays, is minimal after Grisham returned to the Bronx. Thosar called out the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros by name as teams that need to figure out what to do as a pivot, should Bellinger follow Grisham’s lead.
“Grisham coming off the board diminishes what was already a weak outfield market, particularly in center field. Though Bellinger is still considered the top free-agent center fielder on the market, this year he played the least amount of games in the middle of the diamond, logging more innings in left and right field, as well as several games at first base,” Thosar wrote.
“After Bellinger, there’s 32-year-old Harrison Bader, 31-year-old Cedric Mullins, and then an enormous drop-off in talent among free-agent center fielders. And even within the top-end of that group, Bader is viewed as a part-time center fielder, and Mullins was worse than league average at the plate this past season.
“So Grisham’s departure from free agency was a huge detriment to teams seeking a center field piece, which includes the Mets, Phillies, Tigers, and Astros. Now, some of these contenders will have to get creative through trades or in-house promotions to fill that need.”
Kyle Tucker is in a class of his own in the outfielder market, though he profiles more as a corner outfielder anyway. The Toronto Blue Jays are in a good place to land Tucker, though his situation is still fluid.
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand believes a Bellinger agreement makes sense for the OF/1B and the Pinstripes.
“The Yankees and (Cody) Bellinger were a perfect match, and a reunion here makes sense for both parties. Yankee Stadium is built perfectly for his swing, evidenced by Bellinger’s.912 career OPS in the Bronx, and his positional versatility gives manager Aaron Boone lineup options. New York is the clear favorite to sign Bellinger,” Feinsand wrote this past week.
“There are several reasons for the Yankees to bring Bellinger back, but none more compelling than his home/road splits in 2025. In 80 games at Yankee Stadium, Bellinger slashed.302/.365/.544 (.909 OPS) with 18 home runs and 55 RBIs. In 72 road games, those numbers dipped to.241/.301/.414 (.715 OPS) with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs. For any other club besides the Yankees, Bellinger’s numbers in the Bronx must be taken into consideration.”
If everything goes according to plan, there should be a robust trade market this winter.
Those winter meetings will be something.