While the 2025 MLB offseason has had moments of intrigue thus far, one of the sport’s most coveted free agent outfielders has yet to sign. While plenty of suitors have been interested in former MVP Cody Bellinger, his 2025 campaign and specific skillset make him a perfect fit to re-sign with the New York Yankees.
The Yankees have had a quiet winter to this point, but it is clear that Bellinger has remained one of their priorities. Assuming that the front office is willing to make a highly competitive offer, it would be difficult to envision him choosing to go elsewhere.
“I think he'd be a great fit for anybody,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com during the Winter Meetings. “I think he's a very talented player that can play multiple positions at a high level, and hits lefties, hits righties. He's a contact guy, and I think our environment was a great one for him.”
Cody Bellinger enjoyed productive 2025 with Yankees
Across 152 games with the Yankees last season, Bellinger slashed 272/.334/.480 and earned an .813 OPS. The two-time All-Star also mashed 29 home runs, tallied 98 RBIs, and stole 13 bases.
According to Baseball Savant, Bellinger ranked in the 82nd percentile in Batting Run Value, the 91st percentile in strikeout rate, and the 84th percentile in terms of Whiff rate. All told, Bellinger put together his best year at the plate since his first season with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, and one could argue that he was more effective in New York, given he played in more overall games.
As if the 30-year-old’s prowess at the dish did not make enough of an impact, he was also a top-flight defender for the Yankees. He ranked in the 91st percentile in Fielding Run Value.
“Who he was in the room, his performance between the lines on both sides of the ball, his athleticism, his versatility — who wouldn't want a player like that?” manager Aaron Boone said of Bellinger. “He's earned the right now to get to this point of his career, free agency as still a relatively young man. So we'll see what happens.”
Boone has not been Bellinger’s only advocate. Captain Aaron Judge has also reportedly been in favor of a Bellinger reunion, and this kind of backing might stem from an even greater truth.
The Yankees need what Cody Bellinger offers at his best
Bellinger brought skills that the Yankees’ lineup and defense desperately needed. Cashman, Boone, Judge, and other key players within the organization almost certainly have a fundamental understanding of why re-signing Bellinger would be key.
Bellinger added a powerful bat that could also hit for contact and avoid strikeouts. In recent years, the Yankees have often been critiqued by fans and pundits for being too home-run dependent and not versatile enough.
While Bellinger can certainly hit for power, he’s also the sort of batter who can avoid strikeouts, extend at-bats, and get on base in a variety of ways.
The former Gold Glove winner also made New York a more sound defensive team. Before 2025, the club had not been known to play a particularly clean brand of baseball. Even though some of these shortcomings persisted last season, Bellinger certainly aided the effort to become more efficient.
Other teams, such as the crosstown New York Mets, have been linked to the veteran outfielder, but the events of 2025 made it evident that the Yankees need exactly what Bellinger can offer at his best. Other teams may value his skillset, but the Bronx Bombers will need him if they have designs on getting back to the postseason for the third straight year.
