Yankees offer Cody Bellinger more than $30M a year, but gap remains in talks: Sources – The Athletic
The New York Yankees’ latest multi-year contract offer to free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger featured an average annual value of more than $30 million a year as Bellinger’s camp continued to push for seven years, multiple sources briefed on the ongoing talks told The Athletic on Thursday.
The sources were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about the negotiations.
The AAV of $30 million-plus would rank among the five highest-paid outfielders, a list that includes: Juan Soto ($51 million), Aaron Judge ($40 million), Mike Trout ($35.5 million) and Mookie Betts ($30.4 million). Christian Yelich is currently fifth at $26.9 million.
Yankees officials have said many times that they want to re-sign Bellinger, whom they hope will continue to provide steady left-field defense and be a strong lineup presence behind Judge. Considering how long the sides have been talking, it appears Bellinger is open to returning to the Bronx.
Bellinger’s camp could be pointing toward what’s happened this offseason in free agency.
First baseman Pete Alonso, 31, received a five-year, $155-million deal ($31 million AAV) from the Baltimore Orioles that will take him through his age-35 season. Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who turns 33 in March, signed a five-year, $150-million pact ($30 million AAV) with the Philadelphia Phillies that will go through his age-37 season. Bellinger, 30, is coming off a season in which he hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs while accruing 5.1 WAR, according to Baseball Reference — making him among just three Yankees outfielders to cross the 5 WAR threshold in the past decade (Judge, Soto) and landing him 14th in the American League MVP voting.
Bellinger would also be the Yankees’ insurance in center field, right field and at first base.
The Yankees’ side could argue that while they want Bellinger back, recent history hasn’t shown other teams willing to invest long-term in the Arizona native.
Bellinger won the 2019 National League MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but three years later, the club non-tendered him, and he signed a one-year, $17.5-million contract with the Chicago Cubs. The following offseason, he waited until February to re-sign with the Cubs on a three-year, $80-million deal that included an opt-out after each season.
After a solid 2024, Bellinger didn’t opt out and test free agency. The Cubs then traded him to the Yankees in what was essentially a salary dump. The Yankees agreed to pay all but $5 million on his contract, which ran through 2026. They also sent minor-league pitcher Cody Poteet to Chicago.
The Yankees may also point to Alonso and Schwarber’s agreement to five-year deals.
Bellinger became a free agent in November when he opted out of the one year and $25 million remaining on his contract. During the Winter Meetings in early December, his agent, Scott Boras, indicated that eight teams were interested in him.
Boras has negotiated longer-term contracts for outfielders in the past, including Jacoby Ellsbury, who was 30 when he signed a seven-year, $153-million deal ($21.8 million AAV) with the Yankees in 2013, and Brandon Nimmo, who was 29 when the New York Mets gave him an eight-year, $162 million contract ($20.25 million AAV) in 2022. Jose Altuve, another Boras client, signed a five-year, $125-million extension with the Houston Astros ($25 million AAV) when he was 33 years old.
The Yankees have checked in with free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon, though he would seem an imperfect fit defensively. The Yankees’ left-field depth chart currently features switch hitter Jasson Domínguez, a former top prospect who’s just 22 years old and last year hit well from the left side (.768 OPS) but not as a righty (.569 OPS) and was uneven defensively. They also have top prospect Spencer Jones, who performed well at Double A and Triple A last season but hasn’t yet played in the majors and harbors swing-and-miss concerns.
So far, the Yankees have had a relatively quiet offseason and appear willing to go into next season with much of last year’s club. They have re-signed Trent Grisham, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, Amed Rosario and Paul Blackburn, but have also been in the market for a starting rotation upgrade.
