{"id":526193,"date":"2026-01-18T09:13:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T09:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/526193\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T09:13:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T09:13:28","slug":"mlb-rumors-blue-jays-receive-strong-message-over-cody-bellinger-amid-ny-yankees-ny-mets-competition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/526193\/","title":{"rendered":"MLB Rumors: Blue Jays receive strong message over Cody Bellinger amid NY Yankees, NY Mets competition"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Blue Jays<\/a> have faced a turbulent stretch this offseason. First, the Los Angeles Dodgers secured Kyle Tucker, then hometown star Bo Bichette chose to sign with the New York Mets<\/a>, leaving Toronto with key holes to fill.<\/p>\n

Despite the setbacks, the Blue Jays still have one marquee free agent available: Cody Bellinger<\/a>. Analysts believe a deal could not only strengthen Toronto\u2019s roster but also strategically block rivals like the New York Yankees<\/a> and Mets from landing the veteran outfielder.<\/p>\n

Bellinger\u2019s 2025 stats underscore his impact: .272 batting average, 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, and 89 runs scored across 152 games for the Yankees. Adding him would make the Blue Jays\u2019 lineup both deeper and more versatile, enhancing their chances in a competitive AL East.<\/p>\n

Former MLB general manager Steve Phillips highlighted the potential benefits of a Bellinger acquisition on TSN: \u201cImagine stealing Bellinger out from under the Yankees, and the Yankees at that point would have nowhere else to go.\u201d He emphasized Bellinger\u2019s versatility and value as a left-handed bat capable of playing multiple positions.<\/p>\n

\"Cody<\/p>\n

Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees stands at bat. Ishika Samant\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Could Bellinger be the Blue Jays\u2019 next centerpiece?<\/p>\n

Bellinger\u2019s defensive versatility could immediately address multiple needs for Toronto. He can play center field, left field, and even first base while providing a potent bat in the middle of the lineup.<\/p>\n

\"MLB<\/p>\n

see also<\/p>\n

MLB Rumors: Blue Jays reassess free-agent options after Bo Bichette\u2019s departure to NY Mets<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c[Bellinger] is an outstanding defender in center field, [and] he can play left field; he can play first base and protect you as a left-handed bat there,\u201d Phillips noted. \u201cHe has got pop; he can steal a base\u2026 keeping him away from the Yankees for a year would be fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Bellinger fits into Toronto\u2019s AL East strategy<\/p>\n

Blue Jays\u2019 interest is also strategic, given the Torontos\u2019 focus on surrounding Vladimir Guerrero Jr.<\/a> and Alejandro Kirk with supporting talent. The front office must act decisively if it wants to secure Bellinger before rival suitors escalate their bids, making the next moves critical in shaping the team\u2019s postseason potential.<\/p>\n

SurveyShould the Blue Jays prioritize signing Cody Bellinger this offseason?<\/p>\n

Should the Blue Jays prioritize signing Cody Bellinger this offseason?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Blue Jays have faced a turbulent stretch this offseason. First, the Los Angeles Dodgers secured Kyle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521837,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2376],"tags":[5,1365,4,1690,61,62,2548,2547,70,142],"class_list":{"0":"post-526193","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-yankees","8":"tag-baseball","9":"tag-cody-bellinger","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-mets","13":"tag-new-york-yankees","14":"tag-newyork","15":"tag-newyorkyankees","16":"tag-toronto-blue-jays","17":"tag-yankees"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/115915342316808563","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=526193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/526193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/521837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=526193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=526193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=526193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}