The winter started with a familiar shape to it. Cody Bellinger’s name kept circling back to the New York Yankees, popping up in conversations the way unfinished business tends to do. It made sense. He fit. He produced. He looked comfortable in pinstripes. But as January drags on, comfort and reality are no longer lining up.
Why the Yankees Hit a Wall With Bellinger
Bellinger’s 2025 season with the Yankees was as close to a clean success as you can ask for from a one-year gamble. He posted a 125 wRC+, launched 29 home runs, and drove in 98 runs while giving the Yankees strong, flexible defense. There were stretches where he carried the lineup.
That version of Bellinger is worth paying for. The version his agent is selling is another matter.
Scott Boras is reportedly pushing for a seven-year deal at roughly $37 million per season. That is franchise-altering money for a player whose career has already included steep valleys alongside the peaks. The Yankees are not shy spenders, but they are deliberate when it comes to long-term risk. A contract that carries Bellinger well into his mid-30s at elite annual value runs directly against how this front office wants to operate.
The impasse feels less like posturing and more like a genuine philosophical split.
The Pivot Points on the Yankees’ Radar
Once negotiations stalled, the Yankees started scanning for alternatives, and the names floated have been revealing. Luis Robert Jr. has come up in trade conversations, a reminder that the team remains open to adding impact even if it means paying in prospects. Bo Bichette has also been mentioned, a move that would require creativity, likely shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center field and reshaping the defense on the fly.
None of those ideas are clean. All of them would be bold.
They also suggest the Yankees are still searching for something specific. They are not just looking for another bat. They want a difference-maker who can tilt games in October, someone who lengthens the lineup rather than simply filling a spot.
Kyle Tucker and the Long-Shot Conversation
That brings the conversation to Kyle Tucker, the most talented player still theoretically available. Tucker checks every box. Elite offense. Strong defense. Prime-age star. If the Yankees were purely talent-shopping, he would be the obvious target.
The problem is leverage.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Yankees are on the periphery of the Tucker situation. That tracks with reporting from SNY, which indicates Tucker has been most seriously linked to the Blue Jays, Mets, and Dodgers, all of whom have already held meetings with him. Those teams are positioned to offer both money and long-term security without hesitation.
For the Yankees to truly enter the Tucker sweepstakes, they would need to stretch. Either a nine- or ten-year commitment north of $300 million, or a more inventive structure built around a massive AAV with fewer guaranteed seasons. Neither path feels particularly comfortable for a front office that has shown increasing restraint when it comes to contracts that age poorly.
Still, as long as Tucker remains unsigned, the door is not fully closed.
What This Says About the Yankees’ Winter
This moment tells you plenty about where the Yankees are as an organization. They are willing to spend, but not recklessly. They are aggressive, but not desperate. Walking away from Bellinger at that price point is a statement, even if it leaves fans uneasy.
The Yankees may yet make a move that surprises everyone. Or they may decide that discipline now is better than regret later. Either way, the path they choose will define more than just this offseason. It will signal how the Yankees intend to build around Judge for the rest of his prime, and that decision is coming into focus fast.
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