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The New York Yankees secured a major piece of their future when they signed Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million deal late last month.
They also included a first-of-its-kind clause in his contract to ensure that his future was protected.
SI.com’s Stephanie Apstein reported that the Yankees added some insurance in the event of a lockout, which appears a likely outcome to some insiders. Apstein reported that the Yankees made sure they would not lose out on a year of Bellinger’s contract in the event that the MLB heads to an extended lockout that causes the league to lose a season.
Yankees Secure Cody Bellinger With Lockout Clause
As Apstein reported, Bellinger wanted to add the chance to opt out of his contract and retest the market after his second and third seasons, but the looming threat of a lockout when the current collective-bargaining agreement expires in December could have brought that about sooner than expected.
So instead of measuring his contract in years, the Yankees added a clause that would count by World Series played.
“Hence the language of Bellinger’s contract,” Apstein reported “Instead of offering him the chance to opt out after 2027 and ’28, the way every other contract is written, his offers him the chance to opt out after ‘the second and third Championship played.’ ”
Apstein noted that this is a team-friendly clause, leaving it unclear which side proposed including it.
“And indeed, conversations with a few people involved do not make it entirely clear who—Boras or someone on the Yankees side—proposed it,” Apstein wrote. “But the idea is this: Using traditional language, if Bellinger plays great in ’26 and the sport loses ’27, Bellinger will exercise the opt-out and New York will have signed a two-year deal but enjoyed only one season of his production.”
Cody Bellinger Ready to Reload
Bellinger is excited for his return to the Bronx, saying in an interview on MLB Network Radio that he believes the Yankees have a good chance to return to the World Series.
“Every single person in that locker room shows up, and we’re all there to win a World Series. Now, are 30 other teams? Yeah, of course,” Bellinger said.
Bellinger added that the AL East is a “gauntlet,” noting that all the teams have been making big moves to remain in contention. The Baltimore Orioles added Big Apple slugger Pete Alonso, while the Toronto Blue Jays aimed to follow up their World Series appearance by making a series of big-money moves.
But Bellinger believes the Bronx Bombers can return to the top of the division and get back to the World Series if they play up to their potential.
“I think that the guys that we have in this locker room are hungry man. I really do feel like it is the pinnacle to win a World Series in this city,” Bellinger said. “A parade in New York City — that’s what I’m chasing, and that’s something that I really want and definitely a dream of mine. I show up every day wanting to win, and so does everyone else in that locker room, and it’s just a fun environment that we have there.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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