Yankees Now Looking Beyond Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger's one year with the New York Yankees could be his swan song in the Bronx. It was the perfect situation, too, for the former MVP. For years, it had been hypothesized that Yankee Stadium's dimensions would be perfect for him, and that was just what happened. Playing on River Avenue, Bellinger hit 18 of his 29 home runs there to the tune of a .909 OPS.

Bellinger may never get that chance again to play full-time in the Bronx now because, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, there is an impasse in negotiations. For now, general manager Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner will look elsewhere unless Bellinger eventually circles back.

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

Olney mentioned that the two big guns on the market remain in play, as do potential trade options.

"The Yankees have remained engaged in the conversations for outfielder Kyle Tucker and infielder Bo Bichette, and as they have haggled in the Bellinger negotiations, they have also engaged other teams about trade possibilities," Olney wrote.

The Tucker Rule

The name that would make the most sense is Tucker. That would require minimal roster maneuvering. They could slot him in left field, and while that is a tough place to play, and few maneuvered it the way Brett Gardner did, Tucker's bat supersedes whatever deficiencies he may have in the outfield.

To compare how great Tucker is, look at his 2024 in comparison to Juan Soto's before he got his mega deal. Soto had a 181 wRC+ the year the Yanks went to the World Series. Over in Houston, Tucker hit for a 179 wRC+ that season.

Sep 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker (30) hits a single during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Tucker was hurt last year, but still posted a 136 wRC+. That is how prolific he is.

Maybe They Can Know Bo?

The other option is Bo Bichette. Bichette does not have the bat Tucker does, and signing him creates a chaotic ripple effect in the infield.

Anthony Volpe could be displaced if Bichette signs. Bichette is unfortunately one of the worst defensive shortstops in baseball, and since the Yankees treat Volpe like the other Steinbrenner son at this point, it would be hard to see them moving off their once-former top prospect for another butcher. Just like Tucker, though, he would hit his way out of whatever deficiencies he would have.

Despite poor defensive metrics, Bo has had a wRC+ in the 120s every year since 2020, and his only poor year was 2024, when he was hurt and hit for a 70 wRC+.

Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Bo Bichette (11) hits an RBI single against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning during game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Bo's bat is so good that it makes up for poor defense. He had 4.9 and 4.8 WAR, according to Fangraphs, in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, he posted a 3.9 WAR, and last season, he had a 3.8 WAR.

Trade Opportunities

As Olney mentioned, the Yankees can make a trade to replace Bellinger's production in the lineup as well. The possibilities there are endless, though not likely as fruitful as Tucker or Bichette.

Cashman's tenure comes with its faults, and he has been one of the primary authors of this championship drought, but few GMs have been better at the trade-out-of-nowhere. Before the 2022 season, the team offloaded Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez for Josh Donaldson, who had been outspoken against team ace Gerrit Cole, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

The year before that, they traded for Anthony Rizzo before eventually locking him down. Neither of these deals was expected.

Jul 31, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) takes on the field during batting practice prior the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

If Cashman goes down the trade route again, the place to look is bad teams or aging players who may not have much juice left in the league. Ian Happ of the Cubs is one name that comes to mind. Last season, he hit for a 116 wRC+. Considering they just took on Alex Bregman, the Cubs may want to offload his $20 million AAV.

Still with the Cubs, Nico Hoerner is another name. Hoerner has been floated around in trade talks. He comes with the same infield displacement issue that Bichette does, though Hoerner has a much better glove, and the clear option here would be to give him Volpe's job at short. Whether the Yankees want to do that to Volpe is another story altogether.

Jo Adell and Teoscar Hernandez could be other names. Neither would move the needle for fans, but they are such Cashman moves.

For now, it is a matter of wait and see if Bellinger truly is off the table. These reports may eventually push a deal with him across the finish line.

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