The New York Yankees lost Juan Soto in free agency last offseason and made a slew of moves to replace him. One of those moves was a trade with the Chicago Cubs for star outfielder Cody Bellinger and his massive contract.
After a great first season in the Bronx, Bellinger opted out of his contract and is back in free agency. The Yankees need to do everything in their power to re-sign him, but it might be expensive. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently projected Bellinger would sign a massive $168 million deal in free agency.
MLB.com recently put together a poll of 46 voters. They were asked to predict where each top free agent would sign, and a majority of the voters predicted Bellinger would remain with the Yankees in free agency.
“Bellinger took quite a liking to Yankee Stadium, hitting .302 with 18 homers and a .909 OPS in his home ballpark this past season,” MLB’s Mark Feinsand wrote. “His left-handed power and ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base was a boon for the Yankees, and a majority of our voters think he will keep playing in the Bronx.
“He may never reach the heights of his 2019 NL MVP year with the Dodgers, but Bellinger’s first year with the Yanks was arguably his best since then. He belted 29 homers overall to go with 98 RBIs, 13 steals and an .814 OPS. That homer total was Bellinger’s highest since ’17, as was his 4.9 fWAR, which tied for 18th best in MLB.”
Bellinger is the Yankees’ most important free agent of the offseason. He’s a star with the bat and the glove, which makes him a perfect fit beside Aaron Judge in the outfield and in the lineup.
It might be an expensive free agency sweepstakes, but the Yankees are the favorites for a reason. They need to do everything in their power to make sure Bellinger is in the Bronx next spring.
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