Bellinger, 29, could form an all-MVP outfield in the Bronx alongside two-time winner Aaron Judge and 2017 MVP Giancarlo Stanton.
The New York Yankees missed out on retaining the services of slugger Juan Soto in free agency, but they did hit on a nice consolation prize. On Tuesday, the Yankees traded for Chicago Cubs outfielder/first baseman
Cody Bellinger. New York also received $5 million in the deal, in which the Yankees sent right-handed pitcher Cody Poteet to Chicago.
While Soto is a generational talent, he’s not yet an MVP winner, unlike Bellinger. The 29-year-old claimed the 2019 National League MVP award while with the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he led the Senior Circuit in both total bases (351) and wins above replacement (8.6). In his eight MLB seasons, Bellinger is a two-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, was the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, claimed one Gold Glove award, and won the 2020 World Series with the Dodgers.
Last year with Chicago, Bellinger had a slash line of .266/.325/.426, with 18 home runs and 78 RBI. He displayed his versatility by lining up all over the outfield, as well as manning first base. He played 49 games in right field, 48 games in center field and 22 games at first base. His ability to play multiple positions will be needed next year in the Bronx as, in addition to losing a corner outfielder in Soto, the Yankees also declined their option on first baseman Anthony Rizzo, making him a free agent.
With Bellinger’s addition, the Yankees could have an all-MVP outfield. Two-time American League MVP Aaron Judge is New York’s starting center fielder, while Bellinger can flank him at either corner outfield spot. Giancarlo Stanton is also an MVP winner, courtesy of his 2017 victory while with the Miami Marlins. Stanton served only as a designated hitter last season but has over 1,000 appearances in the outfield during his 15-year career.
Bellinger has two years left on his contract, which will pay him
$52.5 million. He is due $27.5 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026, with that second year also having a $5 million buyout. That buyout is where the extra $5 million that the Yankees get comes from, as New York has the option to pay Bellinger $5 million after the 2025 season to buy his contract out, rather than paying him $25 million to play for them.
Chicago ridding itself of Bellinger’s contract opens up money for the team to reach a long-term deal with recently acquired outfielder Kyle Tucker, a three-time All-Star. The Cubs traded for the former Houston Astro last week, and he’ll be a free agent after the 2025 MLB season.
The player that Chicago got in the Bellinger deal, Poteet, spent most of the 2024 season in the minors but
did log 24.1 innings with the Yankees. He had a 2.22 ERA across those appearances, which included four starts. For his MLB career, the 30-year-old sports a 5-4 record, a 3.80 ERA, and has averaged 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
Bellinger was born and raised in the Phoenix area, but he has ties to both the Yankees and New York. His father, Clay Bellinger, was born in Oneonta, N.Y., which is about 20 miles from Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. The elder Bellinger
also played Major League Baseball during the late 1990s/early 2000s, and he just happened to play for the Bronx Bombers. Clay Bellinger was a utility player for New York from 1999-2001, and while he hit just .194 across 343 plate appearances, he did collect two World Series rings during that time.
Per the
Elias Sports Bureau, the Bellingers will become the fourth father-son duo to don the pinstripes of the New York Yankees.
Bellinger’s arrival is the third major one over the last two weeks for New York, which traded for closer Devin Williams and signed starter Max Fried last week. Formerly of the Milwaukee Brewers, Williams is a two-time winner of the NL Hoffman Reliever Award, given to the best relief pitcher in the National League. A two-time All-Star, Williams is
one of two active pitchers with a career ERA below 2.00 (minimum 200 innings pitched). Fried also made two All-Star Games while with the Atlanta Braves, and he has the
third-lowest ERA in all of baseball (2.81) since the start of the 2020 season.
The Yankees are hoping the added firepower both in the field and on the mound will help them get three more postseason victories than they got last season. The Yankees made the World Series but fell in five games to the Dodgers. It was the Yankees’ first pennant since winning the World Series in 2009, so they’ll enter the 2025 MLB season on a 15-year drought without a World Series championship. That’s the franchise’s longest spell without a championship since it went 17 years without one from 1979-95.
