Jon Heyman of The New York Post has revealed that the Yankees offer to Cody Bellinger was around $155 million over five seasons, a deal that would have made him one of the richest outfielders in the game’s history.
Despite this offer, sources have indicated to the New York Post that both the team and the player have began looking into alternative plans as this negotiation continues.
This deal offered no deferrals and would have given Bellinger all of his money upfront, and they’ve also indicated a willingness to offer an opt-out and raise the salary offer according to Heyman.
A primary issue here seems to be the years; while the Yankees are firm on their five-year offer Bellinger remains firm on wanting seven years, and it could lead to an unexpected break up between the two sides.
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Who Are the Yankees Considering In a Potential Cody Bellinger Departure
Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees are discussing the idea of signing one of Bo Bichette or Kyle Tucker, but there seem to be other teams who are more aggressively involved in this.
The Phillies for example have been labeled the favorites for Bichette’s services according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, with fellow Athletic writer Chris Kirschner reporting it as unlikely that he comes to the Bronx.
As for Tucker, the Mets, Dodgers, and Blue Jays as the primary suitors in that race, as the Yankees are more on the periphery without much motivation to pursue him at the moment.
One of the players who the Yankees have checked in on is infielder Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs, who has one year left on his deal and would be a perfect fit at shortstop.
That said, it’s also been reported by The Athletic that the Cubs are unwilling to move Hoerner without getting a massive haul in return, so the odds of that occurring seem rather low.
Heyman reports that the Yankees have checked in on OF Luis Robert Jr. who has $20 million owed to him for 2026 and is coming off of back-to-back seasons with a below-100 OPS+.
The Yankees are in a precarious situation where their pivot options are few and far in between given their reported interest in various free agents (or lack thereof), and it creates a weird dynamic with Cody Bellinger.
On one hand, the Yankees are smart to stare down Scott Boras in this negotiation war, but on the other they risk missing out entirely on the free agent class if they don’t get a deal done.
Both sides need each other, but does that mean a deal will get done?
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