Bruce Levine of 670 The Score spoke today about Cody Bellinger’s trade market, reporting that the Yankees, Mariners, and Astros have all reached out regarding the 1B/OF. It’s been well-reported that the Yankees have a need at first base and will explore options at the position, with Jack Curry of YES Network reiterating today on The Michael Kay Show that the team “likes” Bellinger, making him a realistic trade option for New York. Bellinger slugged 18 home runs across 130 games with a 109 wRC+ and 2.2 fWAR, but the Cubs don’t seem keen on keeping him at a $27.5 million price tag.
The final outcome regarding Juan Soto and his free agency isn’t known to affect their interest in Bellinger one way or the other, as most reporters have mentioned that it’s hard to gauge the Yankees’ interests until after the matter resolves.
Yankees Checked in With Cubs About Potential Cody Bellinger Trade
With the amount of money that Cody Bellinger is owed in 2025 and the fact that the Cubs don’t have a need for a first baseman or outfielder, it makes sense that they’re shopping him on the market. Chicago is looking to shuffle around their roster and upgrade without shopping at the top of the free agent market, and moving Bellinger could give them more flexibility to add other players at various positions of need.
The Yankees have “long liked” Cody Bellinger according to Jack Curry, and while its unclear how adamant they are about acquiring, it does seem that they’re at least monitoring his market. His swing makes tons of sense for Yankee Stadium as he would have hit 24 home runs if he played all 130 of his games at the Bronx, as he pulls a lot of his contact in the air for damage contact.
Couple that with excellent baserunning skills and defensive versatility, and you have a player who could give the Yankees plenty of value in various areas.
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The question is about whether the Yankees would have to eat a lot of money in this deal or ask the Cubs to eat money and send prospects in return. With the team looking to sign Juan Soto to what will be the richest player in the sport in terms of present-day value, perhaps the answer to that question is based on whether he returns or not. The Yankees may be more willing to part ways with prospects if they want to save money and make an addition alongside Soto.
If they don’t, perhaps the money not spent on Soto can go towards Bellinger and give the Yankees a player who only costs money and no prospects. There are a lot of unknowns, mainly in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, and that gives the organization a lot of uncertainty regarding which direction they’ll end up having to go, but as it stands everyone is in the dark regarding the sweepstakes.
What is known is that if the Yankees want to get another shot at winning the World Series, it will require a significant financial investment.