The New York Yankees are reportedly interested in bringing Cody Bellinger back, but they are not the only team trying to land him.
One offseason storyline has been players leaving the Yankees for the New York Mets. The Mets are one of the teams reportedly trying to land Bellinger, after already landing Luke Weaver and Devin Williams this offseason. Last offseason, the Mets signed Juan Soto and Clay Holmes away from the Yankees. However, the Yankees are not worried about Bellinger being the next Yankee to leave for Queens, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
“The Yankees have made him their priority and seem pretty confident that, unlike superstar Juan Soto, he won’t skip to Queens,” Heyman wrote on Thursday.
The Yankees wanted to retain Soto, but ultimately were outbid by the Mets. The Mets are once again looking for help in the outfield, but the Yankees are seemingly more confident this offseason when it comes to retaining their star outfielder. Bellinger is a great defender and posted great numbers for the Yankees.
He hit 29 home runs and slashed .272/.334/.480 in 152 games. The Yankees got Trent Grisham back on a qualifying offer, but signing Bellinger long-term could set them up beyond just next season. He would be a fit for many contenders, and Heyman noted that the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers are also interested in him.
It’s unclear whether the Yankees think Bellinger would leave for one of those teams, but they seem confident that they won’t be seeing Bellinger in a Mets uniform.
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