Yankees Primed to Lose Cody Bellinger to Blood Rival

The New York Yankees are facing double trouble after watching former New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso sign with the Baltimore Orioles, who gave him a five-year, $155 million contract.

First, that brings one of the biggest bats in the majors to the American League East and makes the Orioles legitimate contenders.

Second, the Mets need to pivot after watching Alonso (and closer Edwin Diaz) walk. And don't forget, New York already sent outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for infielder Marcus Semien.

So, if the Mets still want to take a swing at a free-agent slugger to pair with outfielder Juan Soto, it could lead them to the Yankees' doorstep.

King Of Queens

"After losing Alonso/Diaz, a good PR move for the Mets would be stealing Cody Bellinger from the Yankees, however pyrrhic a victory that may be," The Athletic's Brendan Kuty reports.

"Cody Bellinger — like Alonso, a (Scott) Boras client — is a better fit for the Mets now than ever before," the New York Post's Jon Heyman adds.

That will no doubt put pressure on Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to get a deal done with Bellinger.

"The Yankees need Cody Bellinger even more," SI's Tom Verducci reports. "The AL East is loading up. The Orioles are back in play as a contender.

New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger — Oct 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) rounds the bases after hitting a 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: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

"The Red Sox added Sonny Gray and have a full season of Roman Anthony and figure to sign (Alex) Bregman or (Bo) Bichette," Verducci notes. "The Blue Jays added Dylan Cease and are in play for (Kyle) Tucker, Bichette and others. The Rays will bounce back after a trying year in a bandbox of a minor league stadium and a brutal summer schedule.

"Bellinger’s bat and versatility is the team’s biggest need," Verducci concludes.

Another Option

However Bellinger isn't a must-have if Cashman can land the biggest fish in the free-agent sea.

"Mets, Yankees and most all big-market teams (and some others — Orioles) have checked in on Kyle Tucker, one of 5 players to post at least a 4 WAR each of the last 5 seasons (Judge, Ohtani, Soto, Ramirez)," Heyman reports.

As the MLB Winter Meetings wind down in Orlando, Fla., one thing is clear: Cashman and the Yankees still have a lot of work to do if they want to wrestle back the division title from the Blue Jays and win their first World Series title since 2009.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!