It is widely known that the Chicago Cubs are shopping Cody Bellinger this winter. There's a good chance that the former Los Angeles Dodgers fan favorite could land with the New York Yankees.
The Bombers lost out on star outfielder Juan Soto after he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets. Though the Yankees may have lost one of its brightest stars, the organization has plenty of money to spend.
Days after the Yankees lost out on Soto, the organization signed former Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract. But after falling three games short of a World Series, New York is hoping to add as much talent as possible this offseason.
One star the Yankees are hoping to add to their roster is Bellinger, a lefty-hitting first baseman/center fielder. There has reportedly been progress between the Cubs and Yankees on a potential trade.
The conversations reportedly stalled over money since Chicago is asking the Yankees to take on almost the full $52.5 million owed to Bellinger over the next couple years. Bellinger's agent, Scott Boras, gave an update on the trade conversations between the two clubs.
“Jed (Hoyer) told us that they have some roster configuration issues that they have examined,” Boras said, via Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “Cody and I have been talking a lot about it. Whenever the player is in this situation, there’s always an expectancy. But we also know that where Cody’s at in his career — where his contract is — he’s going to be going to a very competitive team if it happens. If he stays in Chicago, that’ll be a place where he’s very welcome.”
Bellinger, 29, hit a .266 average with 18 home runs and 78 runs batted in last year. He had a down year in 2024 — while his adjusted OPS was 11 percent above league average, he played a less impactful role in Chicago.
In 2023, Bellinger was certainly worth big money, but it's evident he knew his 2024 campaign wouldn't bring a lucrative offer as he didn't enter the free-agent market.
