Yankees Convinced Cody Bellinger Wouldn't Return

The New York Yankees and Cody Bellinger are at a stalemate. The player and his agent have apparently set their price, with the two looking for a seven-year deal, according to reports. The team is not so inclined to go that far with the years.

This standoff comes as a surprise to anybody who linked Bellinger and the Yanks all winter. That honeymoon phase involving shoestring catches and clutch hits has subsided. At least for now, it has.

According to one insider, the idea that Bellinger's return was a slam dunk was not a sentiment shared throughout the team's front office. NJ.com's Bob Klapisch reports team executives were "convinced" their versatile slugger would leave in free agency.

Apr 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sports agent Scott Boras talks on a cell phone before a game between the Colrorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Klapisch's Thoughts on Bellinger

"Yet, despite the uptick in Bellinger's offense, his strong presence in the clubhouse and an alliance with Judge, Yankees execs were convinced Bellinger would leave this winter," Klapisch wrote for NJ.com "With agent Scott Boras running point, the market for Bellinger was supposed to overheat. Steinbrenner vowed not to overpay. He didn't want to get burned by Bellinger the way he did by Juan Soto, who left for the Mets on a 15-year, $765 million contract last offseason."

That robust market the Yankees suspect would follow Bellinger this winter never came. Now they believe he and his agent have asked for too much.

"But free agency hasn't been as generous to Bellinger as the Yankees originally thought," Klapisch continued. "The Yankees suspect Boras may have overplayed his hand. With the possibility of a long labor dispute looming in 2027, many owners may be reluctant to spend wildly."

Did They Really Think He Would Leave?

The only counter to the idea Klapisch presented is that, if the Yankees did not believe Bellinger would return, why have they centered their whole off-season around one player? Free agency has entered January, which, even by the slow standards of baseball free agency, is a frigid pace.

There are other options out there. Kyle Tucker is the superior player. Indeed, he does not have Cody Bellinger's versatility, but he has always been a more consistent bat throughout his career. Tucker was playing hurt and still posted a 136 wRC+ and 4.5 WAR, according to Fangraphs.

Then there is Bo Bichette. Bichette is a right-handed bat that hits for both contact and power. Not only that, but he has been the lifeblood of those Toronto Blue Jays lineups along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and they could snatch him right up, forcing them to watch him in the division, night in and night out. No, the Yankees cannot go back in time and win the ALDS, but they can steal their guy months after a brutal World Series loss.

Moving On

In another time and place, the Yankees would have already moved on with the player still on the market. Anybody who remembers the Robinson Cano free agency play out will recall that the team immediately pivoted to Jacoby Ellsbury once they believed that Cano's price was too high for their blood.

New York Yankees Second Baseman Robinson Can — The only bright spot for the Yankees in their 10 - 3 loss to the Mets was Robinson Cano who was hitting 9th and had a solo home-run and drove in two runs with a double in the second inning, in the second game of the subway series at Yankee Stadium June 26, 2005. | Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ellsbury obviously did not work out, and despite Cano getting popped for PEDs, he proved to be the better player and worth that deal. At least, he was by the numbers.

This comparison is less about the results and more about the team cutting bait when they thought they needed to. The Yankees pivoted with their own player and a much better one at that. Why haven't they done so with Bellinger?

Bellinger is not on this Hall of Fame trek the way Cano was at the time. There were also no ties to him in terms of developing the player. He is every bit the mercenary Soto was. Plus, there are better options behind him than Ellsbury. In fact, there are better players than Bellinger available. Is it so bad to let this one go?

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