My Take: Cody Bellinger Saga Drags On

I am conflicted.

On one hand, the Yankees probably need Cody Bellinger.

On the other hand, I can understand drawing a line in the sand.

The Yankees, using media leaks (fair is fair – Scott Boras does it too), are telling the world that there won’t be a bidding war for Bellinger. They are willing to add perks like opt-outs, but are not willing to go beyond their current five-year offer, which matches the length given to Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber. If rumors are to be believed, their offer is for more money than what Alonso and Schwarber signed for. However, Bellinger is likely claiming that the market has changed in the weeks that followed those deals.

Reading through various comments on Reddit, some are becoming disenchanted by the entire process. I get that sentiment – this drama feels like it has lasted longer than most Netflix series. And it isn’t interesting. The same stalemate that existed weeks ago lingers to this day. It reaches the point where people stop caring.

The Yankees aren’t blameless, but Scott Boras isn’t exactly the hero in the story himself. Sometimes, he overvalues his clients. His track record is outstanding, but not perfect. The Yankees may be successfully calling a bluff.  Bellinger’s suitors only exist in a fantasy land that Boras is attempting to create.

It is worth noting that as soon as Kyle Tucker signed with the Dodgers, the outfield-needy Mets didn’t quickly pivot to Bellinger, as many expected to happen. Rather, even though they employ approximately 15,167 infielders, they pivoted to Bo Bichette on a short-term deal. Does that exclude them from a run at Bellinger? Of course not. Is it possible that the Mets are only interested in short-term agreements with quick opt-outs?  Of course, as that is the ongoing rumor.

After missing out on Tucker and showing little interest in Bichette (nothing suggests otherwise), the Blue Jays are another potential suitor.  Toronto went the long-term route with pitcher Dylan Cease early in the off-season, securing him for seven years.  Rumors suggest Tucker was offered a ten-year deal, indicating the team may favor long-term contracts over short-term ones with insane annual value. From what we know, that fits what Bellinger wants.

However, the Jays’ offer to Tucker averaged $35 million over ten years. Do they place the same value on Bellinger? If the answer is “No,” do they value him at the $32 million the Yankees reportedly have on the table? And if all they are willing to do is match or go slightly above, would that be enough to lure him away?

It’s hard to find other potential suitors, though it only takes one phone call. The Red Sox may want another bat, but their outfield is crowded. The Giants are always looking for lineup upgrades, and their current outfield configuration of Heliot Ramos, Jung Hoo Lee, and Luis Matos won’t make pitchers squirm. However, is Bellinger a good fit for Oracle Park, one of the least-friendly hitting parks in Major League Baseball?  His home run production would fall (using the Expected Home Runs metric, only Fenway Park would have suppressed his home runs more, and only by a singular home run), but the spacious outfield could benefit his high-contact, line drive approach. Since changing his approach in 2023, he has only 18 plate appearances in San Francisco.

It’s turned into a high-stakes game of chicken. On the surface, you might think Bellinger’s camp holds the edge, but not so fast. A hot market may not exist, limiting his options. However, of all the available options, Bellinger is the best fit for the Yankees. Are both sides overestimating their leverage? I don’t know, but we can go in circles all day.

Bellinger’s decision is holding up the Yankees’ winter, but that was expected. While I would claim the Yankees have a massive hole at shortstop, they think their biggest need is left field. Until the Bellinger situation is resolved, they aren’t going to engage in the free agent or trade markets for another outfielder. He is their #1 choice. Moving on to #2 makes no sense as long as #1 remains a possibility.

I am sticking to my guns that the Yankees aren’t enamored with Jasson Dominguez and share the same questions we do regarding Spencer Jones. Dominguez can hit right-handed pitching, though let’s not pretend that he murdered them in 2025. For a left fielder, the numbers are not special at all. However, he is young, so we can expect improvement. Defensively, he was a disaster. He needs to make significant strides to become slightly below average, nevermind more than that.

This is why minor league depth is important, right?  You wish the Yankees weren’t relying on Dominguez getting better or Jones figuring out that a swing and a miss is not the desired outcome. Ideally, more options would be at their disposal. Alas, they are not, beyond Duke Ellis‘ cool-sounding name.

I don’t know why I need to address this, but I will:  Making the rounds this morning is an image of Austin Wells making a “crying emoji” under a Bellinger Instagram post. Society is falling by the second. Beyond looking for Twitter clout, which has as much value as a 2022 penny, what is the point of going through social media looking for meaningless breadcrumbs?

Bottom Line:

The Cashman/Boras dynamic can be intriguing at times, but this negotiation makes me want to poke my eyes out.  Much of that is due to the boring winter the Yankees have had overall (the Ryan Weathers trade livened things up a tad), which has forced us to focus heavily on this drama that nobody wants to see last another episode.  Get it done. Or don’t. Let’s get to the next chapter.

Bellinger was going to be my only talking point this morning, but I just saw that utilityman Jorge Mateo signed a $1 million deal with the Braves. The most shocking part of this news is that the once-hyped Yankees’ farmhand is 30 years old. Where does the time go?

Mateo has put together a 487-game career with the Padres and Orioles, with a significant portion of his 5.0 career bWAR (3.9 fWAR) coming in 2022, when he hit .221/.267/.379 in 533 plate appearances with the Orioles. He was the American League leader with 35 stolen bases while providing strong defensive value. He hasn’t been the same player since, but his ability to play any position while stealing some bases allows him to find jobs. This signing came a day after the Braves announced that infielder Ha-Seong Kim will miss several months due to an injury sustained while slipping on ice. Stars, they’re just like us!

In case you forgot, Mateo was a part of the package that went to Oakland in 2017 for Sonny Gray. It’s equally crazy that he is 30 years old and that transaction is approaching its 9th Anniversary.