Inside The Pinstripes

Key Details in Cody Bellinger’s Yankees Contract

The New York Yankees have inked a giant new contract with outfielder Cody Bellinger. Here are the details.
Aug 4, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) during the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Aug 4, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) during the game between the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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The New York Yankees have finally done what they set out to do this offseason and re-signed Cody Bellinger to a new contract.

The Pinstripes originally received Bellinger in a trade with his former team, the Chicago Cubs. His old contract, signed in early 2024 for three years at $80 million, would have left him in New York for one more year. However, after a stellar first season with the Yankees, Bellinger opted for free agency.

Though Bellinger's team won't be changing, his bank account certainly will be. Here are the full details of his new contract with the Yankees, as reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan and Jorge Castillo.

Money and Duration

Bellinger's contract gets him five years and $162.5 million, for an average annual value of $32.5 million. That's around $6 million more per year than his Cubs contract, which worked out to be around $26.7 million AAV.

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge and left fielder Cody Bellinger
Oct 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) congratulates left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) after 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

In addition to his yearly salary, Bellinger will receive a $20 million signing bonus. According to insider Mark Feinsand, none of the money will be deferred, a common strategy employed by teams like the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers to sign massive contracts to be paid out over decades. Instead, Bellinger will get all $30.5 million annually, and likely will have the opportunity to make bonuses.

Additional Clauses

In addition to a high AAV, Bellinger's contract includes some future leverage for the 2019 NL MVP. After the 2027 and 2028 seasons, Bellinger can choose to opt out of his contract and pursue free agency, as he did this years.

There is also a full no-trade clause in Bellinger's contract, meaning he would have to waive said clause if the Yankees wish to deal him to another team. That's not out of the realm of possibility, per se, but it gives Bellinger a say in trade negotiations.

Yankees Get Power, but Inconsistency in Cody Bellinger

Retaining Bellinger is the biggest news of the Yankees offseason thus far. There's a big upside for the team, who was looking to secure more power in the outfield after Trent Grisham accepted a one-year, $22 million qualifying offer.

Bellinger hit 29 homers and slashed .272/ .334/ .480 for a OPS of .814 with the Yankees in 2025. He hit 18 of those home runs at home (per Stat Muse), with many of them flying over the right field wall. Clearly, Bellinger's play takes advantage of the Yankees' short porch, and he'll ideally have another strong year.

However, Bellinger has a history of inconsistency. While he only played 95 games with the Cubs in 2021, he hit just .165 with 10 homers. In 2022, when he played 144 games, he still only hit .210. These stats lead the Cubs to trade him. Hopefully, the Yankees won't want to do the same.

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Delilah Bourque
DELILAH BOURQUE

Delilah Bourque is a writer and copyeditor based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. After a few years in corporate marketing, she joined On SI as a full-time copyeditor and contributor to the New York Yankees On SI, as well as occasional contributions across the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers on SI.