A reunion between the New York Yankees and Cody Bellinger is looking more and more likely.
One by one, Cody Bellinger's suitors are dropping like flies, and at some point, the New York Yankees will hold most of the leverage.
We might already be at that point, as the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker and the New York Mets just added Bo Bichette, taking two major potential destinations for Bellinger off the market.
I guess a world exists in which the Mets can still sign Bellinger even after landing Bichette, but it just doesn't seem all that likely.
The only other potential destinations for Bellinger now are the Toronto Blue Jays and possibly the Philadelphia Phillies, but the Blue Jays have never really appeared all that interested in Bellinger, and the Phillies will surely be hesitant to spend that much on a 30-year-old with an injury history.
That leaves the Yankees and, barring any mystery teams jumping in at the last second, really no one else. And while Tucker secured $60 million annually and Bichette was able to nab $42 million per year, New York still holds the advantage here.
Why? Because it won't matter so much what everyone else is getting paid if Bellinger has no other suitors.
Yes, it's more than likely that Bellinger will now get more than the five-year, $160 million contract the Yanks were reportedly offering. But not a whole lot more. Perhaps he will ultimately land $35 million annually. Or maybe the Yankees will relent and give him the $36-37 million he evidently wanted.
Cody Bellinger. Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.But with the free-agent market drying up by the second, a reunion between New York and Bellinger seems imminent at this point.
Again, things could change. Bellinger is a Scott Boras client, after all, so we could be waiting until February or March before a decision is made. But more than likely, we will see something occur rather soon.
It seems hard to envision Bellinger going elsewhere at this point. He has surely wanted to stay in the Bronx all along; he just wanted to get paid.
And after seeing 31-year-old Alex Bregman receive a five-year, $175 million deal from the Chicago Cubs, Bellinger may feel he is worth at least that much. And honestly, deservedly so.
Maybe that is the common ground the Yankees and Bellinger will ultimately reach, but it won't necessarily be on his terms.
Remember: the former NL MVP wanted a seven-year contract, but after seeing Tucker and Bichette receive four and three years, respectively, Bellinger will probably have to settle for five at most. And that's where New York may be more open to giving Bellinger a higher AAV.
We'll see what happens, but it's difficult to see Bellinger in anything other than pinstripes in 2026.