The New York Yankees brought back Trent Grisham on a one-year, $22.025 million Qualifying Offer. But the Yankees still need to add one more outfielder.
Cody Bellinger, who was the other Yankees free agent outfielder, declined his Qualifying Offer and is now a free agent. With other teams interested, the Yankees will have to fight off some other clubs to re-sign Bellinger.
Fortunately, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com explained in a recent piece why the Yankees and Bellinger reuniting this winter is a very realistic possibility.
Yankees get good news on re-signing Cody Bellinger
“Brian Cashman has already labeled him one of the two best outfielders on the market,” Hoch writes, “which signals the organization sees real value in keeping him. It is easy to envision both sides agreeing that staying in New York is the best outcome.”
With Cashman acknowledging Bellingers’ value, the two sides will likely have much more productive contract talks. New York wants him back, and Bellinger is open to returning.
Bellinger had a huge bounce-back season in 2025, hitting 29 home runs with a .272 batting average and 5.1 bWAR in 152 games. His .813 OPS was his second-best since his 2019 MVP season, and combined with great defense and his versatility, Bellinger will have a strong market this winter.
Another underrated, but important aspect of Bellinger’s free agency that spells good news for the Yankees is how great he hit for the club during the 2025 season.
“Bellinger seemed to blend into the Yankees’ clubhouse almost immediately.” Hoch writes. “Teammates remarked that it felt like he had been there for years, and his pinstriped pedigree through his father, Clay, only deepened that familiarity.”
Between the Yankees’ high evaluation of Bellinger and how great he fit with the club during the 2025 season, a reunion this winter seems like a very realistic possibility.
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