While it’s hard to fathom the Boston Red Sox be interested in the services of an outfielder this winter, New York Yankees utility man Cody Bellinger makes a lot of sense.

The 30-year-old rebounded for the second time in three seasons, slashing .272/.334/.480 with 4.9 fWAR in 152 games. He also clubbed 29 home runs, his most since winning National League Most Valuable Player in 2019, and drove in 98 runs. While not Juan Soto, he did an admirable job replacing the Dominican outfielder in the lineup, along with center fielder Trent Grisham.

But how does he make sense for the Red Sox? After all, they’re not exactly starving for outfielders, much less lefty hitters even after the trading of Rafael Devers in June.

The Good

One thing that often plagued the Red Sox offense in 2025, and even in years prior, was striking out. With runners in scoring position, they were tied for the sixth-highest strikeout rate in the majors at 22.7 percent. With the bases loaded and less than two outs, that strikeout rate climbed to 26.3 percent.

However, Bellinger was one of the hardest guys to strike out in the majors in 2025. Among 145 qualified hitters, he ranked 16th-best in strikeout rate at 13.7 percent. Moreover, he did a solid job of taking walks, which is not always a guarantee with guys who don’t strike out (see: Luis Arraez). 

Having a balance of bat-to-ball and command of the strike zone is something that drew the Red Sox to players such as Alex Bregman, even if there was a bit more of swinging and missing to his game in 2025. While contact isn’t always a point of emphasis for offenses, Bellinger isn’t exactly a “bat-to-ball over power” player, as his 29 home runs (and 98 RBIs) would’ve led Boston in 2025. He also hits lefties well, so there are no real platoon concerns for Bellinger. In 176 plate appearances against southpaws, he slashed .353/.415/.601 with a 180 wRC+ and more walks than strikeouts. This marks the second time in three seasons he’s dominated lefties; the year he didn’t, he still hit .298 against them, just without power. 

Bellinger also plays a very good corner outfield, posting 15 Defensive Runs Saved and six Outs Above Average across nearly 1,000 defensive innings at a corner outfield spot. He also has a strong throwing arm, ranking in the 83rd percentile for arm strength. He even played a smattering of innings at first base in 2025, with a not-so-insignificant amount of playing time there in his career.

Should Boston opt to go with the in-house options at first base instead of paying a king’s ransom for Pete Alonso, Bellinger can play first base against lefties with Nate Eaton or Rob Refsnyder (free agent) factoring into the outfield.

The veteran also has tons of experience playing in big markets. Before the Yankees, the outfielder spent two years with the Chicago Cubs; before that, six years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s seen it all in those markets: coming up short in October, winning it all (albeit in the COVID-shortened 2020 season), missing the postseason, winning individual awards, and having disastrous seasons whether health-related or performance-based.

The Bad

As mentioned before, Bellinger is an outfielder by trade. While they could pursue him as a first base option, he’ll garner enough interest as an outfielder to likely prevent a marriage from happening.

As a result, it would somewhat force the Red Sox to move multiple outfielders this offseason and, given the 30-year-old’s strong defensive track record in recent years, it would pretty much seal the fate of Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. If Hunter Greene is available, trading that pair might be easier than expected, but who knows if he really can be had until he’s actually traded?

Moreover, it’s been a 50-50 shot the past four years that Bellinger actually contributes significant value. Before that stretch, he posted -1.0 fWAR and a 47 wRC+ in 95 games in 2021. Is someone with such topsy turvy results annually worth over $30 million a year, as projected on Spotrac?

Lastly, and it’s kind of ironic given what makes a hitter successful in 2025, but his pulled fly ball rate is very high. In 2025, he ranked in the top 25 among lefty hitters in pulled fly ball rate, with the only Red Sox hitter ahead of him being Abreu. While he was only a tenth of a percent behind Duran for opposite-field air percentage, there’s real cause to believe playing 81 games at Fenway Park would negatively impact Bellinger’s power numbers.

Granted, he’d also have 81 games on the road, with varying ballpark dimensions, but it’s not a hot take to say he’s not a tailor-made fit for Fenway.

The Verdict

Bellinger is quietly becoming a personal favorite of mine for the Red Sox this offseason, but there’s probably too many moving parts for this to work.

Not only that, but there’s going to be significant interest in Bellinger’s services this winter. Not only within the division with his most-recent team in the Yankees, but other outfield-hungry teams such as the Cleveland Guardians, Toronto Blue Jays, and *cough cough* the Los Angeles Dodgers, if they’re willing to take a risk on the guy they non-tendered three years ago.

I just don’t see it in Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow‘s best interest to get involved in a bidding war for a position he doesn’t necessarily need to fill, even if they trade Duran and Abreu. He’d be a great piece to have in the middle of the lineup, but Cody Bellinger’s future probably resides outside of Boston.