Yankees' Cody Bellinger Chase Hit With Absurd Report That Simply Can't be True

The New York Yankees want Cody Bellinger back in the fold for 2026 and beyond, but at an affordable price.

While Bellinger was good for the Yankees this past season, slashing .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI over 656 plate appearances while also playing fine outfield defense, he wasn't elite, so New York is understandably being cautious in negotiations.

The general consensus has long been that Bellinger will land a contract worth somewhere between $150-200 million, and the Yanks reportedly have a limit as to how far they will go (although that number has not been revealed).

So, how much is Bellinger actually asking for?

Well, Barry M. Bloom of Forbes has reported that the former NL MVP is seeking Kyle Tucker money: an eight-year deal in the neighborhood of $400 million.

That sounds absolutely asinine and I would find it very hard to believe that that is true.

Now, it should be noted that Jack Curry of YES Network recently reported that no team has come close to matching Bellinger's demands, but $400 million? I know Scott Boras is his agent, but that just seems too outlandish to be real.

Bellinger is 30 years old and has a rather extensive injury history. Since winning his MVP award with the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2019, he has really only had two really good seasons, so there is absolutely no reason to trust the former fourth-round pick with $400 million.

To be perfectly honest, even $200 million would probably be too pricy for Bellinger, and I kind of get the feeling that the Yankees have set their hard line around that number.

Should New York lose Bellinger to free agency, it would either pick up another veteran outfielder or roll with some combination of Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones in left field.

However, based on Bellinger's crawling market, it doesn't appear that the Yanks are actually close to seeing the left-handed slugger walk.

If it's true that Bellinger is aiming for a contract that far out of his reach, then he will be waiting on the open market for a very long time.

Remember, though: the last time Bellinger was a free agent two years ago, he didn't ultimately re-sign with the Chicago Cubs until February.

Boras clients are known to play the waiting game (Bryce Harper signed in March back in 2019), so it's not out of the realm of possibility that Bellinger could be available for months.

If that ends up being the case, it's rather easy to see the Yankees moving on.