The New York Yankees apparently already know what they will do in the event that Cody Bellinger leaves.
The New York Yankees are hoping to re-sign Cody Bellinger, but if he is unwilling to come down on his price, then they seem ready to move on.
The Yankees have apparently made Bellinger a five-year offer in the neighborhood of $160 million, and they don't seem like they are going to budge.
So will New York do in the event that Bellinger decides to sign elsewhere?
Joel Sherman of The New York Post revealed the Yankees' intentions in the latest episode of the Pinstripe Podcast, and needless to say, it isn't too surprising.
If Bellinger does ultimately leave the Bronx, New York isn't planning on pursuing any big-name replacements. Instead, the Yanks will roll with Jasson Dominguez as their starting left fielder with Spencer Jones potentially working himself into the mix.
Hal Steinbrenner would then just pocket the money he planned on handing Bellinger.
Considering the free-agent market has dried up and because there doesn't seem to be anyone particularly intriguing available for trade, this stance from the Yankees should not come as a shock to anyone.
New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez fields the ball in front of Cody Bellinger. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.New York is no longer the extravagant organization it once was. Yes, the Yankees still rank among the top teams in payroll every year, but it's blatantly obvious that they are now being more judicious with their spending.
Of course, that could come at the expense of winning.
While New York has remained one of the better teams in baseball, it seems pretty clear that the Yanks are quite far behind the Los Angeles Dodgers at the moment, and even the Toronto Blue Jays have surpassed them within their own division.
Outside of Ryan Weathers, the Yankees have not made a single impactful addition this winter, and while losing out on Bellinger won't stop them from trading for someone like Freddy Peralta, there is no guarantee the Bronx Bombers will add anyone.
Dominguez struggled mightily in left field last season, posting a minus-7 DRS and minus-100 OAA over 793 innings. And while he wasn't great at the dish, he wasn't spectacular, either, slashing .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI across 429 plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Jones is 24 years old and has yet to hit the big leagues. He smashed 35 homers in 2025, but glaring strikeout problems have persisted for the top prospect.