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Cody Bellinger

Yankees’ Offer To Bellinger Reportedly Above $30MM AAV

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The Yankees have made multiple offers to Cody Bellinger in recent weeks. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports that the most recent had an average annual value north of $30MM. However, the sides are still held up on contract length.

Kuty writes that Bellinger’s camp continues to push for a seven-year contract. It’s not known how many years the Yankees are willing to go, but it has thus far apparently been less than seven. Jon Morosi of The MLB Network suggested earlier this week that the team was more comfortable with a four- or five-year commitment.

The rumored proposal from New York would put Bellinger in the range of the most expensive bats to sign this offseason, at least on an annual basis. Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies for five years and $150MM. Pete Alonso received a five-year, $155MM deal from Baltimore. If the Yankees get their wish regarding the contract length, Bellinger’s deal likely ends up looking a lot like the Schwarber and Alonso pacts. MLB Trade Rumors settled on a five-year, $140MM contract in our list of the top 50 free agents.

As Kuty notes, a contract exceeding $30MM a year would make Bellinger one of the highest-paid outfielders in the league. Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Mookie Betts (if he still counts) are the only outfielders making more than $30MM per season. It would also be a significant jump from his recent contracts, as the market has treated him with trepidation in previous years.

After the Dodgers moved on from Bellinger following the 2022 season, the Cubs scooped him up on a one-year, $17.5MM deal. Bellinger rewarded Chicago with a 20/20 campaign, but it wasn’t enough to land a long-term contract. He ended up back with the Cubs on a three-year, $80MM deal with opt-outs after each season. Bellinger didn’t opt out after a middling 2024 and was then traded to New York. The Yankees were able to land him just by sending over Cody Poteet and agreeing to pay all but $5MM left on Bellinger’s contract.

Bellinger unsurprisingly opted out of the final year of his deal after a strong season in New York. Regardless of where he ends up, he should be able to top the $25MM he was slated to make in 2026. Bellinger slugged 29 home runs last year, the most since his NL MVP campaign in 2019. He added 13 steals and nearly drove in 100 runs. Bellinger also provided stellar defense, with both Defensive Runs Saved (+11) and Outs Above Average (+7) praising his work in the field. Bellinger logged 300+ innings at all three outfield positions. He also made a handful of appearances at first base. The Yankees didn’t need his services in the infield with Paul Goldschmidt on board, but he could be an asset there if needed.

In addition to the considerable counting stats, Bellinger also made some improvements under the hood in 2025. He bumped his hard-hit rate to 37.9%. That mark is just above league average, but it’s a big improvement from recent seasons. Bellinger’s 31.4% hard-hit rate in 2023 was among the reasons he failed to secure a long-term deal after his first year with the Cubs. While he hit .307 that season, it was likely fueled by a career-high .319 BABIP. His xBA (.268) was nearly 40 points lower than his actual mark. Bellinger’s hard-hit rate improved to a still-underwhelming 32.9% in 2024, while his bat speed slipped to 69 mph, which ranked in the 13th percentile.

Bellinger also made more contact this past season. His 13.7% strikeout rate was the best mark of his career, as was his 7.6% swinging-strike rate. Bellinger ranked 26th among all qualified hitters with a 91% zone contact rate. He’d only been above 87% once in his career before 2025. Average batted ball metrics combined with elite contact skills could portend continued success for the 30-year-old Bellinger, particularly if he stays in New York. He slashed an uninspiring .241/.301/.414 on the road last year.

The Best Fits For Cody Bellinger

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The top of the free agent position player market has not moved as quickly as it did in the previous couple offseasons. Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger remain unsigned.

That's not a huge surprise for the latter two hitters given the Boras Corporation's general willingness to wait deeper into the offseason if strong deals don't immediately materialize. Tucker and Bichette, the two best free agents, are respectively represented by Excel Sports Management and Vayner Sports. The slow offseason can't entirely be attributed to Boras. It's possible that Bellinger is waiting on Tucker while Bregman awaits resolution on the Bichette landing spot. There's a decent amount of overlap, especially among a handful of big-market franchises that have been relatively quiet in free agency thus far, in those respective markets.

Bellinger is a free agent for the third time in the past four years. He's hoping to finally command the long-term contract that alluded him in the two prior trips. He was always going to be limited to a one-year pillow deal in 2022 after consecutive down seasons led the Dodgers to non-tender him. A resurgent '23 campaign with the Cubs didn't lead teams to buy into him as a franchise altering addition. He returned to Chicago on a three-year deal with opt-outs, then was traded to the Yankees after an underwhelming 2024 campaign.

The long speculated connection worked beautifully. Bellinger's left-handed bat played very well at Yankee Stadium. He hit 29 home runs, his highest total in six years, while batting .272/.334/.480 across 656 plate appearances. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each valued him around five wins above replacement.

Teams could still quibble with some of his underlying splits. Bellinger was a league average hitter away from the short porch in the Bronx. His batted ball metrics remained middle of the pack, and his results outpaced his "expected" statistics from Statcast for a third straight season. The average batted ball data was a stumbling block for teams in prior offseasons -- both in his '23 free agent trip, and when the Cubs were shopping him last winter.

Will a third straight season of overperformance lead teams to conclude that Bellinger's plus contact skills outweigh the exit velocity concerns? He's one of the best left-on-left hitters in MLB, batting .329/.371/.546 against southpaws over the past three seasons. The average left-handed batter (.230/.299/.365) hits like Marcus Semien or Otto Lopez when he doesn't hold the platoon advantage.

Bellinger isn't attached to draft compensation because he was ineligible for the qualifying offer. His camp will surely look to play up the narrative that he has proven himself in three major markets over the course of his career. A five- or six-year contract seems like the median outcome for the 30-year-old former MVP. Jon Morosi of The MLB Network suggested on Wednesday that his camp may be looking for seven years.

Where might he end up?

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Latest On Yankees, Cody Bellinger

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The biggest offseason question for the Yankees has been whether they’ll re-sign Cody Bellinger. General manager Brian Cashman is on record about the club’s interest in doing so, and they’ve reportedly made at least two formal contract offers.

It doesn’t appear that Bellinger is on the verge of accepting a deal, however. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic wrote this morning that the sides don’t seem close to an agreement, though talks are continuing. Contract length could be a holdup. Kuty wrote that Bellinger and his representatives at the Boras Corporation were likely looking for a six- or seven-year contract. In an MLB Network appearance, Jon Morosi also suggested that Bellinger continued to seek a deal in the seven-year range. Morosi added that the Yankees unsurprisingly preferred a four- or five-year commitment.

Most external projections forecast a five- or six-year deal. MLBTR predicted a five-year, $140MM contract at the beginning of the offseason. Bellinger is headed into his age-30 season. There’s precedent for players commanding seven-plus years at that age, but the most recent free agent hitter to do so was Brandon Nimmo in 2022. There hasn’t even been a six-year contract for a free agent bat in his 30s since the Nimmo deal, but Alex Bregman (who was a year older at the time) rejected a six-year offer from the Tigers last winter.

Bellinger is coming off a fantastic first season in the Bronx. He hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs across 656 plate appearances. He cut his already low strikeout rate to a personal-best 13.7% clip. Bellinger’s bat speed and exit velocities — which prevented him from commanding a long-term contract two years ago — remain middling. His left-handed bat was perfectly suited to Yankee Stadium, where he hit .302/.365/.544 with 18 of his home runs. His .241/.301/.414 batting line on the road is essentially league average.

While that wouldn’t be much of an issue for the Yankees, they may feel that’ll give other teams pause. We’re only a year removed from Bellinger having essentially no trade value when he was signed for two years and $52.5MM. New York acquired him from the Cubs for journeyman pitcher Cody Poteet, whom Chicago cut at the end of Spring Training. The only cost for the Yankees was taking on all but $5MM on Bellinger’s deal. Trade talks were complicated by an opt-out clause in his contract, but it’s notable that teams weren’t eager to sign up for even two years at $25MM annually last offseason. A six-plus year commitment at a similar annual value is a significant ask.

Do teams other than the Yankees feel Bellinger is a dramatically different player than he was a year ago? His camp will surely argue that his success in New York — on top of his previous work in big markets in Los Angeles and Chicago — should move the needle. Bellinger also isn’t attached to draft compensation, as he was in 2023 when he declined a qualifying offer from the Cubs.

His results have outpaced his more middling batted ball metrics in three consecutive seasons. Bellinger is never going to recapture the ferocious power he had before he injured his right shoulder during the 2020 postseason. He has reinvented himself as an elite contact bat, and while his home/road splits aren’t encouraging, his platoon numbers are more impressive.

Bellinger is a .329/.371/.546 hitter against left-handed pitching over the past three seasons. Among lefty hitters with 250+ plate appearances in that time, only Yordan Alvarez has a superior slugging mark. Bellinger trails only Alvarez and Juan Soto in on-base percentage. Teams can comfortably pencil Bellinger in as an everyday player in either corner outfield spot, and he’s an option for at least semi-regular center field work.

Cody Bellinger Rumors: Cubs Interested, Yankees Make Second Contract Offer

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A new but familiar team has joined the list of clubs publicly connected to Cody Bellinger’s market, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Cubs “checked in on” the former NL MVP’s services.  Bellinger played for the Cubs during the 2023-24 seasons, and Chicago’s involvement means that Bellinger’s market now consists of all three of his former teams (the Yankees, Cubs, and Dodgers), as well as the Giants, Mets, Angels, Blue Jays, and Phillies also showing interest at various points this offseason.

It isn’t known if the Cubs’ involvement is anything more than due diligence on an available player they’re quite familiar with, but Chicago’s offseason explorations have included such notable position players as Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, Eugenio Suarez, Pete Alonso, and Kazuma Okamoto, in addition to a number of starting pitchers.  The Cubs have been very active in the bullpen market but have yet to make a truly big-ticket addition to a roster that reached the playoffs in 2025, but is expected to lose Kyle Tucker in free agency.

Bringing Bellinger back to Wrigleyville would be a fun pivot, as it was just over a year ago that the Cubs dealt the first baseman/outfielder to the Yankees.  Initially coming to Chicago on a three-year, $80MM free agent deal that included two opt-out clauses, Bellinger passed on his first opt-out following the 2024 season, leaving the Cubs on the hook for $52.5MM over the remaining two seasons.

The Cubs got most of that money off their future books by sending Bellinger and $5MM to New York in exchange for right-hander Cody Poteet, who was designated for assignment and then traded to the Orioles at the end of March.  In short, it was essentially a salary dump move for the Cubs, though they reinvested some of the money saved on Bellinger by acquiring Tucker in a blockbuster trade with the Astros.

In theory, re-acquiring Bellinger is a clean fit since he could slide directly into right field as Tucker’s replacement, with Seiya Suzuki remaining in a primary DH role.  It does create a bit of a logjam since top prospects Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, and Kevin Alcantara are all ready to show what they can do with some extended MLB playing time.  Since Suzuki and Happ are free agents next winter, however, the Cubs could approach 2026 as something of an all-in push with their veteran core, and then give the kids a chance in 2027 once more roster space opens up.

MLB Trade Rumors projected Bellinger for a five-year, $140MM contract while ranking him eighth on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents.  Dansby Swanson’s seven-year, $177MM deal from the 2022-23 offseason remains the biggest free agent investment of Jed Hoyer’s tenure as president of baseball operations, and something of an outlier as Hoyer’s only nine-figure contract of any kind.

The Cubs have been open to significant contracts and extensions for the likes of Suzuki, Happ, Jameson Taillon, and others, but adding Bellinger at his projected price tag would be a reach given Chicago’s recent approach to spending.  That said, $140MM doesn’t seem like it should entirely be out of the Cubs’ price range, and the fact that Bellinger is a known quantity would make him a unique case.  After all, if the Cubs were willing to commit $80MM in Bellinger in the wake of two injury-plagued down years with the Dodgers, investing something like $140MM when Bellinger is coming off three solid years and is still only 30 years old seems like a reasonable move for the team.

All this speculation, of course, comes against the backdrop of the Yankees’ pursuit, as it has been widely observed that re-signing Bellinger is New York’s chief offseason priority.  If Bellinger is just one of multiple names on the Cubs’ radar but the top name on the Yankees’ wishlist, it would seem like the Bronx Bombers would be likelier to outbid the rest of the market for his services.

Heyman reported on Thursday that the Yankees made Bellinger a formal contract offer in late December, and Joel Sherman (also of the New York Post) adds the new detail that the Bombers have since made Bellinger a second offer.  This apparent increase in the pace of negotiations could hint that the two sides are getting closer to a deal to bring Bellinger back for an encore in the pinstripes.

As with the Cubs, Bellinger’s return to the Yankees would lead to a bit of a crowded roster situation.  With Aaron Judge in right field, Ben Rice at first base, Giancarlo Stanton at DH, and Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer to return in center field, that would leave left field as Bellinger’s only logical regular position.  This leaves Jasson Dominguez without a spot in the lineup, plus top outfield prospect Spencer Jones is expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026.

Sherman speculates that if Bellinger might actually be nearing a deal with New York, it could tie into recent reports of talks between the Yankees and Marlins about Edward Cabrera.  The Yankees are far from the only team trying to pry Cabrera away from the Fish, but New York has already made two prominent trades with Peter Bendix (including the Jazz Chisholm Jr. deal) during Bendix’s two-plus years in change of the Marlins’ front office.  If the Bombers re-signed Bellinger, that could make the Yankees more open to offering Dominguez or Jones as the centerpiece of a Cabrera trade package.

Yankees Have Reportedly Made Offer To Cody Bellinger

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The Yankees made a formal contract offer to Cody Bellinger this week, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Specifics of the proposal aren’t known.

General manager Brian Cashman has made no secret of the team’s desire to keep Bellinger. The former MVP’s first year in the Bronx was excellent. He hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs, his most in a season since 2019. Bellinger’s bat played very well at Yankee Stadium, where he put up a .302/.365/.544 line with 18 longballs.

New York acquired Bellinger from the Cubs last winter in what amounted to a salary dump. They parted with journeyman righty Cody Poteet while assuming all but $5MM of the remaining two years and $52.5MM on Bellinger’s contract. As he ended up opting out, the Yankees paid $27.5MM for that excellent year. It might require a five- or six-year commitment to bring him back as he enters his age-30 season.

The Yankees have had a quiet first couple months of the offseason. Their only move of significance was issuing the qualifying offer to Trent Grisham. He surprisingly accepted and is back in center field on a one-year deal at $22.025MM. Bellinger was ineligible to receive the QO after getting one from the Cubs over the 2023-24 offseason.

Grisham’s salary accounts for the majority of the $29.025MM they’ve spent in free agency so far. The remaining $7MM has been divided among a trio of one-year deals to bring back Paul Blackburn, Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarbrough. Their only MLB acquisition from outside the organization has been Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest.

That certainly won’t be the Yankees’ entire offseason. They presumably expected Bellinger’s free agency to carry well into the winter. The top two free agent hitters, Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, each make sense on paper if Bellinger heads elsewhere. Signing one of Tucker or Bellinger would allow them to rotate their outfielders through the designated hitter spot if Giancarlo Stanton spends any time on the injured list. Bellinger could spell Ben Rice at first base and/or take playing time in left field from Jasson Domínguez, who still has a pair of options remaining.

An outfielder isn’t an absolute necessity, but it’s probably the cleanest path to adding an impact position player. Shortstop would be the primary alternative. Bichette is the only real solution there and faces questions about his defensive fit. He could be an option to handle shortstop for a season and move over to second base once Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits free agency a year from now. The Yankees have reportedly made Chisholm available in trade conversations, but that’d swap out one of their better all-around position players in the process.

The other option would be to make a rotation splash with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt opening the season on the injured list. Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen are the best remaining free agent starters now that NPB righty Tatsuya Imai is off the board on a three-year deal with Houston. The Yankees were one of the teams linked to Imai when he was a free agent, but both Heyman and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote after the signing that the Yanks were not seriously involved in the bidding.

RosterResource projects the Yankees for a $286MM luxury tax number. Owner Hal Steinbrenner has spoken generally about a desire to stay below the $300MM mark in the past, though Cashman suggested in November that’s not a firm limit this offseason. The Yankees had a $320MM luxury tax payroll at the end of the 2025 season.

Giants Showing Interest In Cody Bellinger

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It’s been a pretty quiet offseason so far in the Bay Area, though the Giants have at least been linked to several notable trade candidates and free agents.  The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser adds another big name to the list, writing that the Giants “have checked in on” Cody Bellinger.

While Bellinger’s ability to play first base probably wouldn’t be a factor for a team with Rafael Devers and Bryce Eldridge lined up for first base/DH duty, Bellinger would slot perfectly into the Giants’ vacancy in right field.  San Francisco could also slide Bellinger into left field or center field on occasion, depending on how Heliot Ramos or Jung Hoo Lee are deployed.  Bellinger is more of a serviceable center field candidate than a true regular, but he is a strong defender in the corners — his work as a left fielder and right fielder for the Yankees in 2025 earned +15 Defensive Runs Saved and +6 Outs Above Average.

Bellinger’s bat would also be a nice fit in the Giants’ lineup, as the 30-year-old is coming off a 125 wRC+ season (29 home runs, .272/.334/.480 in 656 plate appearances) in New York.  Bellinger hit far better at Yankee Stadium than he did on the road, which could be a concern for the Giants if Bellinger was playing his home games at pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.  On the plus side, the left-handed hitting Bellinger hits both right-handed and left-hand pitchers well, and he has been one of the harder batters in the sport to strike out over the last three seasons.

The Giants have been linked to Bellinger a couple of times during his past forays into free agency, though that was back when Farhan Zaidi was in charge of San Francisco’s front office.  Current president of baseball operations Buster Posey was still on the team’s board of directors at the time, and of course Posey has plenty of on-field experience in facing off against Bellinger back during Bellinger’s days as a staple of the Dodgers lineup.  Posey has also done business with another Scott Boras client in Matt Chapman, as Posey was instrumental in getting Chapman’s extension finalized late in the 2024 season.

It is possible the Giants’ call on Bellinger might have been routine due diligence, or just to test the waters to gauge Bellinger’s interest in coming to San Francisco.  The larger question, of course, is whether or not the Giants are willing to meet Bellinger’s asking price.  MLB Trade Rumors projected the former NL MVP (who ranked eighth on our top 50 free agents list) for a five-year, $140MM contract, as Boras is surely looking to finally land the guaranteed long-term deal that eluded Bellinger during the 2023-24 offseason.

Giants team chairman Greg Johnson has been openly wary over long-term contracts in general, particularly for pitchers.  Bellinger being a position player might mean the Giants would be more open to signing him to a big contract, yet the team already has a lot of money invested in Devers, Chapman, Lee, and Willy Adames through at least the 2029 season.

For as many holes as San Francisco has in its lineup, starting pitching is a more glaring need, as the Giants have only Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Landen Roupp lined up for rotation spots.  If the Giants are truly hesitant about heavy investments in starting pitchers, they could look to address their rotation needs via trade, and perhaps use any free agent dollars to sign a prominent position player (like Bellinger).

The Yankees have been the team most directly linked to Bellinger’s services, as New York was known to be prioritizing a known quantity in Bellinger ahead of other top targets like Kyle Tucker.  The Mets, Angels, Blue Jays, and Phillies have also reportedly shown interest in Bellinger this winter, though Philadelphia is probably a less likely suitor now that Kyle Schwarber has re-signed.

Royals Hoping To Add Multiple Outfielders

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The Royals are known to be evaluating the trade market for outfielders, with president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo recently signaling a willingness to trade from his rotation depth to bring in some outfield help. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Kansas City is looking to acquire multiple outfielders this offseason — ideally one via trade and another via free agency. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that free agent center fielder Harrison Bader is a target for the Royals. Austin Hays is also on the team’s radar, per Heyman.

While Heyman suggests that the Royals are particularly keen on adding some right-handed help to the lineup, manager Matt Quatraro downplayed any desire for specific handedness in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (video clip).

“Right-handed, left-handed — it’s who can give us the professional at-bats,” Quatraro said when asked about his team’s approach as it shops for upgrades this winter. “I don’t think it has to be one or the other. It’s who wants to be there, who can provide the most upside for us within the lineup to lengthen it out.” Quatraro did go on to call Bader a “great name” and a “top-notch free agent this offseason” when asked specifically about Heyman’s report, but he naturally sidestepped commenting on any specific interest from his club.

Unsurprisingly, Rosenthal suggests that the Royals aren’t pursuing top-end free agents like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger, both of whom will command nine-figure contracts that exceed Kansas City’s preferred price range. He also implies that there’s some reluctance to bet too heavily on rebound candidates, given that the team will already be banking on meaningful contributions from young players like catcher Carter Jensen and first baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone.

Bader, according to Rosenthal, is seeking a three-year deal in free agency. Whether that proves too steep for the Royals remains to be seen, but the ask is understandable coming off a terrific season. The 31-year-old slashed a career-best .277/.347/.449 (122 wRC+) and also notched career-high marks in home runs (17), doubles (24) and plate appearances (501) in 146 games between the Twins and Phillies. Bader played more left field than usual, in deference to Byron Buxton during his time with the Twins, but provided his usual brand of plus defense in both spots.

Glove-first outfielders of this nature generally haven’t been able to command three-year contracts in free agency, typically settling for two-year arrangements, at best. Bader could be helped out by a thin and frankly bleak market for center field help, although recent offseasons with a similar lack of options at the position haven’t yielded overpays for the few credible candidates available.

Bader’s ability to land a three-year deal (or his lack thereof) will hinge on whether teams buy the offensive breakout. There are reasons to be skeptical. Bader’s production was buoyed by a huge .359 average on balls in play. Last year’s 27.1% strikeout rate, meanwhile, was his highest since 2020.

The uptick in power and overall production isn’t really supported by an increase in batted-ball quality; Bader’s 87.2 mph average exit velocity is well below the league-average and an exact match for his 2024 mark — a season in which he batted .236/.284/.373. Bader did barrel more balls than usual this season and enjoy a slight bump in hard-hit rate, but the uptick in whiffs and a career-high 45.7% ground-ball rate make it more than fair to question whether he can sustain this type of offense.

Hays, 30, would be another righty-swinging addition, albeit one who is coming off a lesser season at the plate and is not an option in center field at this stage of his career. He popped 15 homers for the Reds in 2025 while hitting .266/.315/.453 overall (105 wRC+). As usual, a disproportionate amount of Hays’ production came against left-handed pitchers, whom he crushed at a .319/.400/.549 clip. Against right-handers, Hays mustered a more tepid .249/.286/.422 output.

Hays has generally been a fine defensive left fielder. He does have some experience in center but hasn’t played there since 2023 and only has 483 total big league innings at the position (compared to more than 3600 in left field and more than 900 in right field). He’s battled myriad injuries in recent seasons, including calf, hamstring and foot ailments in 2025 and, far more concerningly, a severe kidney infection in 2024 that sapped every aspect of his game. Hays played last season on a one-year, $5MM deal in Cincinnati and is probably looking at another affordable one- or perhaps two-year deal in free agency.

The Royals’ 2026 payroll comes in at a projected $139MM, per RosterResource. That’s already considerably higher than the $126MM mark at which they opened the 2025 season. They’re within a few million dollars of the franchise-record $143MM — a mark that was set under the late David Glass, who sold the club to current owner John Sherman back in Nov. 2019.

That number could change a bit, depending on the type of outfielder the club targets via trade and whether they trade a somewhat established starter for said outfielder. Lefty Kris Bubic, for instance, has been the subject of trade talks and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $6MM next year. If he’s traded and the return includes a pre-arbitration outfielder, the Royals would trim more than $5MM off that expected payroll.

However it takes shape, upgrading the outfield is the clear priority for Kansas City this winter. Royals outfielders were far and away the least-productive group in Major League Baseball last year, slashing a combined .225/.285/.348. The resulting 73 wRC+ ranked last in the game. Kansas City’s 37 home runs from its outfield were the second-fewest of any team in the sport. None of the Royals’ best and/or most MLB-ready prospects play the outfield naturally. Caglianone is a first baseman who’s learning right field due the presence of Vinnie Pasquantino at his natural position. In addition to Bader and Hays, the Royals are also said to be interested in re-signing deadline acquisition Mike Yastrzemski.

Yankees Notes: Bellinger, Williams, Lineup

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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke to reporters on Sunday, offering updates on a few key free agents and discussing plans for the 2026 lineup. Free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger continues to be a popular topic of conversation, and Cashman reiterated that the team wants him back next season.

“Cody Bellinger would be a great fit for us,” Cashman said (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “I think he’d be a great fit for anybody. I think he’s a very talented player that can play multiple positions at a high level, and hits lefties, hits righties. He’s a contact guy, and I think our environment was a great one for him.”

Bellinger has been linked to the Yankees all offseason. A report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggested the club views fellow free agent Kyle Tucker as a backup plan if they can’t retain Bellinger. For what it’s worth, Cashman said Tucker hasn’t visited the Yankees’ complex in Tampa (relayed by Hoch). The former Cub recently stopped by the Blue Jays’ facility in Dunedin.

The 30-year-old Bellinger opted out of his contract in early November, hitting the open market after a strong first season in the Bronx. He slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 13 stolen bases this past year. Bellinger had one year and $25MM remaining on his deal. Given the widespread interest in his services, he should land a much more lucrative pact.

Bringing back Bellinger might exacerbate a lineup configuration issue addressed by Cashman. The roster skews left-handed at the moment. “That is a problem,” Cashman said (h/t Greg Joyce of the New York Post). Cashman added that the team wouldn’t make a trade just to get a right-handed hitter if they aren’t better than the lefty currently in place.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are the only righties slated for regular at-bats next season. The club’s shortstop will likely also be a righty, with Jose Caballero handling the position until Anthony Volpe is available. After that, it’s a bunch of lefties, with a couple switch-hitters mixed in. The righty/lefty mix might be more of a pressing issue if New York struggled against lefties last season, but that wasn’t the case. The Yankees led the league in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ vs. left-handed pitching in 2025. They tied the Dodgers for the most home runs off southpaws.

If Cashman is set on rebalancing the lineup, a certain right-handed infield prospect comes to mind. George Lombard Jr., the team’s top prospect, seems to be on the verge of making an impact at the MLB level. Cashman threw cold water on the possibility of Lombard being involved right away, though. “He could play defense in the big leagues right now, but he’s still developing on the hitting side. Exciting, high ceiling talent. But I don’t think he’s ready yet.” (h/t to Hoch)

The stance is in line with Cashman’s previous comments on Lombard’s trajectory. The 2023 first-rounder hit just .215 at Double-A last year, though he was only in his age-20 season. Lombard torched High-A pitching earlier in the year, earning the bump to Somerset. His strikeout rate jumped considerably with the Patriots, exceeding 25% for the first time as a professional. Lombard did manage 24 steals, while chipping in eight home runs. He’s a good bet to repeat Double-A to open next season. A strong performance could force the Yankees’ hand, especially if the Caballero/Volpe combo falters.

While Bellinger might rejoin the team, another reunion fell flat, apparently without an attempt. Cashman said the Yankees never made an offer to free agent reliever Devin Williams (h/t to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic). Williams and his former team were said to have mutual interest in a return, but he ultimately went to the cross-town rival Mets on a three-year, $51MM deal.

Williams came to the Yankees in a December 2024 trade with the Brewers. He lost the closer role a month into the season and needed an injury to Luke Weaver to get back in the mix for saves. He pitched well for a couple of months, but the Yankees went out and acquired David Bednar at the trade deadline. Bednar took over as closer upon arrival, moving Williams to a setup role. The presence of Bednar and fellow trade deadline acquisition Camilo Doval could’ve hindered the Yankees in attracting Williams, who said it “depends on the scenario” regarding whether being the closer would impact his free agency decision. The Mets had an obvious opening with Edwin Diaz opting out and hitting free agency.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images

Phillies Interested In Cody Bellinger

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Much of the buzz surrounding the Phillies this winter has concerned their efforts to re-sign one or both or Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto.  Since either of those free agents might well end up leaving Philadelphia for another team, the Phils have also been doing their due diligence on other major free agents or trade targets, including Tatsuya Imai and Ketel Marte.

Cody Bellinger’s name can now also be added to the list, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan writes that the Phillies “have interest in” the former NL MVP.  The Phils join the Yankees, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, and Blue Jays as teams known to have some level of interest in Bellinger’s services.

Since it is known that re-signing Schwarber is the Phillies’ chief priority, Bellinger might represent the team’s backup plan if Schwarber heads elsewhere.  While Bellinger doesn’t have Schwarber’s power or overall offensive consistency, there are plenty of reasons why Bellinger would make perhaps even more sense as a fit in the Phillies’ lineup.

Bellinger is also a left-handed hitter, and is coming off a strong 2025 campaign that saw him hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs over 656 plate appearances for the Yankees.  It was more than enough for Bellinger to decline his $25MM player option for the 2026 season and re-enter the free agent market, looking for the long-term nine-figure deal that has eluded him in previous trips to the open market.

Bellinger had a 125 wRC+ last season, which is a few notches below the 152 wRC+ Schwarber posted during his 56-homer season.  Over the 2023-25 seasons, the gap is narrowed to a 135 wRC+ for Schwarber and a 123 wRC+ for Bellinger.  In terms of how the two have produced their numbers, it’s a tale of two somewhat opposite skillsets.  Bellinger makes a lot of contact and rarely strikes out, though he doesn’t generate much hard contact.  Schwarber makes a ton of loud contact, but with the tradeoff of plenty of strikeouts.  Both hitters perform well against left-handed pitching so there isn’t a platoon concern, but Bellinger hit far better at Yankee Stadium than he did in road games in 2025.

That aforementioned 2023-25 span also reveals an advantage for Bellinger in fWAR (11.4 to 9.1), as Schwarber being essentially a DH-only player and a subpar corner outfielder leaves him trailing far behind Bellinger in defensive value.  As this defensive skillset translates to the Phillies, Bellinger could fill in at first base whenever Bryce Harper needs a DH day.  More regularly, Bellinger would be playing in the outfield, perhaps in right field since Nick Castellanos is expected to be traded or maybe just released entirely.  A corner outfield slot is a better fit for Bellinger than center field duty, yet Bellinger could be a part-time answer to the Phillies’ needs in center.

For all of the rumors swirling around Bellinger as a trade candidate and free agent in recent years, this is the first time Philadelphia has been properly linked to his market.  This doesn’t necessarily mean the Phillies had no interest in the past, but other players were possibly just higher on the wishlist, plus the team’s first base/outfield/DH picture has been relatively crowded.

Between Bellinger’s defensive pluses and the fact that he is over 28 months younger than Schwarber, Bellinger got a slightly higher spot on MLB Trade Rumors’ ranking of the offseason’s top 50 free agents.  Bellinger was eighth on our list and Schwarber ninth, with very similar contract predictions — Bellinger five years and $140MM, Schwarber five years and $135MM.

While these are only projections, it isn’t likely that Bellinger represents much or any of a savings for the Phillies as a Schwarber alternative.  Bellinger isn’t attached to a qualifying offer, which undoubtedly has some extra appeal to a Phillies team that would pay a steeper penalty for signing a qualified free agent since Philadelphia spent above the luxury tax threshold in 2025.  By that same token, the Phils would receive a compensatory pick after only the fourth round of the 2026 draft if one of their own qualified free agents (Schwarber and Ranger Suarez) signed elsewhere.

AL East Notes: Bellinger, Tucker, Maton, Campbell

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As usual, the Yankees have been linked to many of the top names on the free agent market, with Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger noted as two of the more prominent players on New York’s radar.  How exactly the front office is ordering their internal wish list remains to be seen, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that Tucker “appears to be a backup plan” to Bellinger.  Familiarity and defensive flexibility are the key elements, as Heyman notes that the Yankees already know Bellinger can handle playing in the pressurized environment of the Bronx.  Tucker is primarily a right fielder who would have to move over to left field in New York due to Aaron Judge’s presence, while Bellinger brings more defensive utility as a player capable of playing all three outfield positions and first base.

It can also be assumed that the Yankees would prefer paying Bellinger’s lower price tag  — MLBTR projects Tucker to land an 11-year, $400MM deal, whereas Bellinger is projected for a relatively more modest $140MM over five years.  Signing Tucker would also cost the Yankees draft picks and international bonus money, whereas those qualifying offer-related penalties don’t apply if Bellinger is re-signed.

Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • The Blue Jays had interest in Phil Maton before the veteran reliever signed with the Cubs, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith reports.  This tracks with the Jays’ previous interest in the righty, as Toronto was previously linked to Maton when he was a free agent last winter and at the trade deadline before Maton was dealt from the Cardinals to the Rangers.  Toronto is known to be looking for a reliever to supplement or even replace Jeff Hoffman in the closer’s role, but Maton also would’ve been a good addition as a bullpen workhorse who has shown an ability to handle higher-leverage work in the past.
  • Kristian Campbell will be playing winter ball, the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier reports, as the Red Sox continue to look to get Campbell on track after a shaky debut season in the majors.  A meteoric rise in his first two pro seasons earned Campbell a spot on Boston’s Opening Day and an eight-year, $60MM extension shortly thereafter, but he hit only .223/.319/.345 over 263 plate appearances as pitchers adjusted quickly to Campbell after his hot start.  Demoted to Triple-A Worcester in June, Campbell hit decently well at Triple-A but with little power, and he also was toggled around the diamond seeing time at first base, second base, and all three outfield positions.  Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told Speier and other reporters earlier in November that Campbell was focused on regaining some weight and becoming stronger to better handle the grind of a full season.  The pricey contract along will keep Campbell involved in Boston’s plans, though it remains to be seen how he’ll fit into a 2026 team that has a crowded outfield, and has been linked to multiple major free agent infielders.
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