Yankees 'Never Really In' on Cody Bellinger
During this offseason, the New York Yankees made massive upgrades to their outfield for the 2024 season.
This began with a surprising trade for Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox, which didn’t particularly cost the Yankees much. The Bronx Bombers then followed with a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres, sending four pitchers and catcher Kyle Higashioka to acquire outfielders Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. All three outfield acquisitions are left-handed hitters, allowing them to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s right field “Short Porch”.
However, while the Yankees traded for these three outfielders, there was a free agent outfielder that many assumed would be targeted by the Bronx Bombers: Cody Bellinger.
But on Monday, YES Network analyst Jack Curry revealed that this wasn’t the case.
On Yankees Hot Stove, Curry said that the Yankees “were never really in on Bellinger."
This may be surprising to some, as Bellinger is also a left-handed hitting outfielder whose power would benefit from Yankee Stadium. Adding to this is his utility on defense, as he is a Gold Glove-winning center fielder who can additionally play first base. However, the Yankees had several reasons to be leery of Bellinger.
Well before Curry announced the Yankees’ lack of interest, there were reports that the Yankees were concerned with Bellinger’s hard-hit metrics. On Baseball Savant, Bellinger was decidedly below-average in average exit velocity, barrel percentage, and hard-hit percentage, ranking in the 22nd, 27th, and 10th percentiles, respectively. Of course, this didn’t stop Bellinger from slashing an impressive .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and a 134 wRC+, but these metrics have led the Yankees to believe that these numbers will regress.
Bellinger’s upside is tremendous, winning the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 and the NL MVP Award in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, before enjoying a bounce-back 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs that set him up well for free agency. However, after regressing in 2020, he struggled immensely in 2021 and 2022, suddenly becoming one of the worst hitters in the league and leading the Dodgers to non-tender him. Of course, he flashed his potential upside in his one season with the Cubs, but the Yankees are worried that this renaissance may not be sustainable and could result in an albatross contract.
Finally, Bellinger is the most coveted outfielder currently on the free agent market, and is looking for a long-term deal worth over $150 million. Of course, the Yankees are no stranger to giving out these kinds of contracts; but this time, they’re hesitant to offer that kind of contract to a player whose production is rather inconsistent. They certainly don’t want another Jacoby Ellsbury situation, which resulted in one of the worst contracts in franchise history.
Ultimately, Bellinger has plenty of other suitors, with the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays being the current favorites to land him. But the Yankees, who once appeared to be a match made in heaven for the 28-year old, are no longer in the race for his services.
