Agent Waiting for 'Dumb Owner' to Overpay Yankees Top Target

As the New York Yankees wait for Cody Bellinger to make his decision, he is also waiting for an owner to jump in and give him a better offer.

Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) reacts after flying out during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees and Scott Boras have been on opposite sides of deals for years. Brian Cashman, along with two eras of Steinbrenners, has done the push-and-pull with the super agent for years, and this one with Cody Bellinger has dragged on into January. Nobody would be surprised if this negotiation lasted into February.

The Yankees have a price they consider fair. Boras wants that seventh year, and that's why there's an impasse. According to the Daily News' Bill Madden, Bellinger and Boras are looking for a desperate owner to jump in. Madden's specific phrasing for this prospective owner, who is willing to overpay for Bellinger, was "dumb."

"The Yankees insist the Tucker signing has no bearing on their negotiations with Scott Boras on Bellinger," Madden writes in the Daily News. "No doubt Boras will attempt to use the $60 million AAV as the new baseline, but the Yankees long ago determined five years at $31-32 million per was a more-than-fair value offer for the 30-year-old Bellinger, who is a nice player but in no way a superstar. Boras is still hoping to find a One Dumb Owner to top that in both years and AAV, but if one does, the Yankees are prepared to move on. Hal Steinbrenner, who doesn't have near the personal financial resources as the Guggenheims or Cohen, is apparently determined to act responsibly. How refreshing!"

Oct 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees Cody Bellinger (35) is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Cody Bellinger and the Landscape of Free Agency

This winter will be remembered for free agents agreeing to massive annual salaries with fewer years. Nobody would ever say Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette are better than Aaron Judge, but according to what they'll be making for 2025 and beyond, each of them will surpass Judge's $40 million AAV.

Maybe Boras sees what happened with Bichette and Tucker, and wants the same for Bellinger if he doesn't get the seven years. The Yankees, though, will not budge from their offer, and at this point, they probably shouldn't either.

At this juncture, it would be hard to imagine a world where a team that won't budge on years would then find themselves in a space where they change their offer altogether, and make last season's third-best hitter earn more than their captain and a generational talent.

Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) talks to left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) after the fifth inning of game two of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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