The New York Yankees have had a somewhat lackluster offseason thus far. Outside of re-signing infielder Amed Rosario, outfielder Trent Grisham, and one or two other players who might help the team elevate past the Toronto Blue Jays.
If captain Aaron Judge has anything to say on the matter, this could change, especially as it pertains to the Yankees’ pursuit of outfielder Cody Bellinger. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Judge is a “big advocate” for a long-term deal between the two sides.
Bellinger spent the 2025 season with the Yankees and excelled during his first season in the Bronx. The 2019 National League MVP mashed 29 home runs, collected 98 RBIs, and earned an .813 OPS across 152 contests while also playing elite defense in the outfield.
According to Baseball Savant, the Arizona native ranked in the 91st percentile in Fielding run value and the 93rd percentile in Range.
Despite speculation that Bellinger could choose to leave the Bronx for Queens and join the crosstown New York Mets, the Yankees reportedly feel “pretty confident” that he won’t make such a switch.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has repeatedly expressed interest in bringing back the 30-year-old since the offseason started.
“He was a terrific addition for us last year,” Cashman told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com in November . “He played a big role in the amount of success we wound up having. Certainly, we’d love to have him come back to us. We’d be better served if we can retain him, but if not, then we’ll have to look at alternative ways to fill it and see where that takes us.
“It’s pretty early in the process, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Of course we’d like to have him back.”
As the face of the franchise and one of the game’s most respected players, Judge might be able to sway Cashman and the rest of the Yankees’ front office towards taking a more aggressive stance on Bellinger.