[Brendan Kuty/The Athletic] Yankees offer Cody Bellinger more than $30M a year, but gap remains
January 9, 2026
[Brendan Kuty/The Athletic] Yankees offer Cody Bellinger more than $30M a year, but gap remains
49 comments
Yankees shouldn’t offer a dime more in terms of AAV. They already fucked up going to $30 imo
Pivot to Tucker if he doesn’t want much more Edit: I meant if he doesn’t want much more yearly
$30M already feels high, solid player but he’s on the wrong side of 30 with a skill set that ages poorly
Better be a short ass deal at that AAV.
Sign Tucker instead at this point!
Yankees really giving into the demands. 30 million AAV is absurd for Bellinger unless it’s a 3 year deal which it’s not
Not sure I go higher. If you want to, pivot to Tucker
Bruh if they do this we’re really fucked with money
How many years? If it’s 5/150 that’s totally fair. Personally I would have gone the extra year for a lower AAV. 4 years? I don’t know what other suitors there are. Yanks certainly shouldn’t bid against themselves.
I’d say 5 years max and if not fuck it and get a bigger offer out to Tucker.
I get that Belli is “good” but he’s not a game changing bat, just an overall really solid player.
We need offense (pitching obviously too but that’s been more injury related).
I’ve been generally patient since this entire market/off-season had been slow but this is getting infuriating. Why are we putting all our eggs in the Belli basket when we literally had him on our team last year and didn’t do shit.
That offer better be 3/100. That amount for long term is an awful contract on Beli.
This guy will not live up to the contract. Going to get hurt and last few years he’ll stink
Jeez. More than 30 million is further than I thought they’d go honestly.
LOL get fucked
What the hell else does he want? lol
Disgusting. Let him walk at this point.
I think its “call me when you have a better offer” time.
Just go for Tucker and make some trades I don’t get this market tbh it’s really interesting how the Japanese players all got signed first lol.
Shame that Cashman is obsessed with Volpe because moving on and getting Bichette instead could be a better play. Just promote Spencer Jones and use Jasson.
Gross overpay
You’re the Yankees. Go 3 years 130m. I know they won’t do it, but would be nice if we used our financial strength to not commit to bad long term contracts.
walk away
He isn’t worth 30 plus Yankees abort mission …
Rather have Bichette and a platoon with Dominguez in left field than this disaster of a contract
Tell Boras to fuck off and pivot to Tucker. Just do it.
This team isnt a Bellinger away from winning a championship, and its clear this will be the single move they make this winter if they do re-sign him, so im good.
No thank you
gross.
Already an overpay at that price. I liked Cody but pay someone else.
$30M/year is a gross overpay for Bellinger. I really like him as a player but he’s objectively a short porch merchant (check his home-away splits).
He shouldn’t have this much of leverage.
Who else would offer more? The Mets seem allergic to long deals this offseason and the Dodgers are so stacked already, do they really feel like it’s worthwhile to give him like a 7 year contract and/or more than $30M a year? I just don’t understand why this is being dragged on so long
If the Yankees are leaking contract numbers, then that’s a bad sign. Probably means they have reached a standoff in negotiations and they want the fans to know they tried. The reports of them considering Bichette more seriously might actually be true.
Boras really needs to read the room. This wont be the first time he overreaches and screws his client.
Boras is exhausting.
I want Belli as much as the next guy, but $30M per for more than 5 years is a big yikes
Its kinda getting to a point where im starting to feel content if he dosent come back
the question is how much over $30M. he opted out of $27.5M, so this is pretty vague
Aaron judge might go down as the best contract (for the team) in MLB history. Maybe I’m out of touch but no shot Bellinger is worse 30 mil a year for 6+ years
Everyone upset over 5 years or 6 or 7. What does it matter? The Yankees make money anyway. That is what sets the Dodgers away from the Yankees. They don’t care about a little extra salary or quibble over a year or 2 on a deal. Does Bellinger make you a better playoff team next season or 3? If that answer is yes, then who cares about fake money 5 years from now. You could buy him out or trade retaining some salary later if need be. They started last year without a 3rd baseman. Are we seriously going to start a season without a left fielder this year?
I would much rather pay Tucker 40 a year for 8 than offer belli anything near 35 a year for 5
This is what happens when you have zero backup plan or depth. They honestly deserve this.
Boras is a plague
Theres no chance that the Mets , Dodgers, Jays, Red Sox, etc (big markets) are offering him more than this. Its wild he’s not signed if this is true. Boras is truly a giant pain in the ass.
Crazy how this guy is holding up our offseason. Move the fuck on. This guy isn’t Juan the asshole Soto.
That’s typical boras for you. That’s a more than fair salary for bellinger. That puts him less than 10m AAV than judge who is the best player on the planet.
Idk why belli is so delusional lmfaoo
That’s absurd on Bellinger’s end. If the Yankees are offering at least 5 years at $30M/yr, that’s probably as good as he’s going to get. I like the guy and I’d go so far as 7 years, $168M ($24M AAV) but that’d be my absolute cap
Spend that on Tucker honestly. Or try and swing a trade for Kwan. Time to let Belli go
The Yankees aleady owed Belli $25M for 2026 at his option so $30M aav was always going to be the number after him posting one of the best 2025 OF seasons in MLB.
The years are the problem. The Yankees want 4 – 5, Boras wants 7. Cashman should offer $180M over 6 years, perhaps with a 7th club option year and a small buyout. That’s a reasonable compromise.
If the Mets, Cubs, or Dodgers swoop in and offer lots more then Belli should take it and the Yankees should move on.
49 comments
Yankees shouldn’t offer a dime more in terms of AAV. They already fucked up going to $30 imo
Pivot to Tucker if he doesn’t want much more Edit: I meant if he doesn’t want much more yearly
$30M already feels high, solid player but he’s on the wrong side of 30 with a skill set that ages poorly
Better be a short ass deal at that AAV.
Sign Tucker instead at this point!
Yankees really giving into the demands. 30 million AAV is absurd for Bellinger unless it’s a 3 year deal which it’s not
Not sure I go higher. If you want to, pivot to Tucker
Bruh if they do this we’re really fucked with money
How many years? If it’s 5/150 that’s totally fair. Personally I would have gone the extra year for a lower AAV. 4 years? I don’t know what other suitors there are. Yanks certainly shouldn’t bid against themselves.
I’d say 5 years max and if not fuck it and get a bigger offer out to Tucker.
I get that Belli is “good” but he’s not a game changing bat, just an overall really solid player.
We need offense (pitching obviously too but that’s been more injury related).
I’ve been generally patient since this entire market/off-season had been slow but this is getting infuriating. Why are we putting all our eggs in the Belli basket when we literally had him on our team last year and didn’t do shit.
That offer better be 3/100. That amount for long term is an awful contract on Beli.
This guy will not live up to the contract. Going to get hurt and last few years he’ll stink
Jeez. More than 30 million is further than I thought they’d go honestly.
LOL get fucked
What the hell else does he want? lol
Disgusting. Let him walk at this point.
I think its “call me when you have a better offer” time.
Just go for Tucker and make some trades I don’t get this market tbh it’s really interesting how the Japanese players all got signed first lol.
Shame that Cashman is obsessed with Volpe because moving on and getting Bichette instead could be a better play. Just promote Spencer Jones and use Jasson.
Gross overpay
You’re the Yankees. Go 3 years 130m. I know they won’t do it, but would be nice if we used our financial strength to not commit to bad long term contracts.
walk away
He isn’t worth 30 plus Yankees abort mission …
Rather have Bichette and a platoon with Dominguez in left field than this disaster of a contract
Tell Boras to fuck off and pivot to Tucker. Just do it.
This team isnt a Bellinger away from winning a championship, and its clear this will be the single move they make this winter if they do re-sign him, so im good.
No thank you
gross.
Already an overpay at that price. I liked Cody but pay someone else.
$30M/year is a gross overpay for Bellinger. I really like him as a player but he’s objectively a short porch merchant (check his home-away splits).
He shouldn’t have this much of leverage.
Who else would offer more? The Mets seem allergic to long deals this offseason and the Dodgers are so stacked already, do they really feel like it’s worthwhile to give him like a 7 year contract and/or more than $30M a year? I just don’t understand why this is being dragged on so long
If the Yankees are leaking contract numbers, then that’s a bad sign. Probably means they have reached a standoff in negotiations and they want the fans to know they tried. The reports of them considering Bichette more seriously might actually be true.
Boras really needs to read the room. This wont be the first time he overreaches and screws his client.
Boras is exhausting.
I want Belli as much as the next guy, but $30M per for more than 5 years is a big yikes
Its kinda getting to a point where im starting to feel content if he dosent come back
the question is how much over $30M. he opted out of $27.5M, so this is pretty vague
Aaron judge might go down as the best contract (for the team) in MLB history. Maybe I’m out of touch but no shot Bellinger is worse 30 mil a year for 6+ years
Everyone upset over 5 years or 6 or 7. What does it matter? The Yankees make money anyway. That is what sets the Dodgers away from the Yankees. They don’t care about a little extra salary or quibble over a year or 2 on a deal. Does Bellinger make you a better playoff team next season or 3? If that answer is yes, then who cares about fake money 5 years from now. You could buy him out or trade retaining some salary later if need be. They started last year without a 3rd baseman. Are we seriously going to start a season without a left fielder this year?
I would much rather pay Tucker 40 a year for 8 than offer belli anything near 35 a year for 5
This is what happens when you have zero backup plan or depth. They honestly deserve this.
Boras is a plague
Theres no chance that the Mets , Dodgers, Jays, Red Sox, etc (big markets) are offering him more than this. Its wild he’s not signed if this is true. Boras is truly a giant pain in the ass.
Crazy how this guy is holding up our offseason. Move the fuck on. This guy isn’t Juan the asshole Soto.
That’s typical boras for you. That’s a more than fair salary for bellinger. That puts him less than 10m AAV than judge who is the best player on the planet.
Idk why belli is so delusional lmfaoo
That’s absurd on Bellinger’s end. If the Yankees are offering at least 5 years at $30M/yr, that’s probably as good as he’s going to get. I like the guy and I’d go so far as 7 years, $168M ($24M AAV) but that’d be my absolute cap
Spend that on Tucker honestly. Or try and swing a trade for Kwan. Time to let Belli go
The Yankees aleady owed Belli $25M for 2026 at his option so $30M aav was always going to be the number after him posting one of the best 2025 OF seasons in MLB.
The years are the problem. The Yankees want 4 – 5, Boras wants 7. Cashman should offer $180M over 6 years, perhaps with a 7th club option year and a small buyout. That’s a reasonable compromise.
If the Mets, Cubs, or Dodgers swoop in and offer lots more then Belli should take it and the Yankees should move on.