The New York Yankees will have some competition for left-handed-hitting outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, with the New York Mets being the most obvious fit if he decides to walk from the Bronx.
Losing Bellinger would be a disaster to most, as he was arguably the second-best player on the Yankees last season and has proven throughout his career that he can be an above-average player when it matters most.
Unfortunately, the Mets have shown the ability to sign plenty of former Yankees players.
That could be the case again with Bellinger, but Pete Caldera and Andrew Tredinnick of NJ.com don’t believe that’s going to happen this winter, predicting Bellinger to re-sign in the Bronx.
“Because their winter plan is dramatically altered without the lefty-hitting outfielder, with few clear replacement options – unless they’re going all out for Kyle Tucker.
“Without Bellinger, the Yankees have a massive void in the heart of their lineup. They make sure to keep that piece in New York,” they wrote.
Bellinger will likely wait until Kyle Tucker gets his deal done.
From his perspective, there isn’t much reason to hurt his own market by taking a deal before that.
Tucker is probably the better player than Bellinger at this point in his career, but there’s an argument for both sides. Bellinger is coming off a very good year, while Tucker wasn’t great for stretches with the Chicago Cubs this season.
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