TL;DR
- Brandon Nimmo traded; Cody Bellinger linked to New York Mets, complicating Yankees' offseason.
- Cody Bellinger, Yankees' second-best player last year, revitalized career with Chicago Cubs.
- Kristopher Knox predicts Bellinger returns to Yankees, but cost could be over $200 million.
- Dodgers, Yankees, Giants, Orioles interested in Tucker, potentially a Bellinger substitute.
Following the departure of Brandon Nimmo in a trade with the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, and with the New York Mets reportedly showing interest in Cody Bellinger, this situation could introduce an unusual complexity for the New York Yankees during the current offseason.
Last year, Bellinger was arguably the Yankees' second-best player, once again somewhat revitalizing his career after a subpar 2024 season with the Chicago Cubs. Bellinger faced significant difficulties from 2020 through 2022, prior to demonstrating strong hitting in 2023 with Chicago. While not poor in 2024, his performance in 2025 was notably superior.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, when considering the potential free agency outcomes for the left-handed hitting outfielder, observed that while there's considerable speculation about his destination, he ultimately anticipated a return to the Yankees.
Despite Williams' 2025 season with The Yankees not meeting expectations, New York hasn't entirely dismissed him... Tucker, a former Chicago Cub, would be an excellent substitute for Bellinger, being about eighteen months younger and potentially considered an improvement.
“While Bellinger will certainly draw plenty of interest from teams outside of New York, the race to land Tucker might be even hotter. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Dodgers, Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles have interest in Tucker, who is likely to command a 10-year contract... Prediction: Yankees re-sign Bellinger,” he wrote.
Bellinger returning to the Yankees will likely come down to how much they have to spend.
Should he aim for over $200 million, a figure potentially tied to Tucker's earnings, he might consider joining another team.
More Yankees News:
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- The Yankees are expected to acquire a Cy Young winner for $22.5 million, forming a formidable starting rotation led by Gerrit Cole.
- Yankees' Anthony Volpe undergoes shoulder surgery amid injury-plagued season
- Yankees' former home run champion signs new contract in Japan