Cody Bellinger's first season with the New York Yankees has come to a close after the team was eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series. Now, Bellinger has a crucial decision to make.
He has a $25 million player decision in his contract for the 2026 season. He can accept and guarantee his return to the Yankees, or, Bellinger can opt to test the open free agency waters.
But even if Bellinger chooses the latter, it appears the Yankees aren't out of his plans. The slugger has enjoyed his time in New York. He is going to take continuing playing for the franchise into serious consideration this offseason, via SNY.
“I had an unbelievable time putting on this uniform,” Bellinger said. “Yankee Stadium, the fans, the organization, the culture that these guys have created in this locker room. It's special.”
“It's such a fun group to be a part of,” he continued. “We came up short and that part stinks for sure. Because we had a really good group here.”
Cody Bellinger says he'd welcome a return to the Yankees if he opts out of his contract:
"I had an unbelievable time putting on this uniform. Yankee Stadium, the fans, the organization, the culture that these guys have created in this locker room. It's special." pic.twitter.com/Ov93n3eGjF
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 9, 2025
Over his first 152 games with the Yankees, Bellinger hit .272 with 29 home runs, 98 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. He ranked second on the team in RBIs, fourth in home runs and fifth in batting average. Furthermore, his 5.0 Wins over Replacement was second-best on the team just behind Aaron Judge.
Because of that, New York surely wants to see Bellinger return to their lineup. However, there are sure to be some changes after any early playoff ouster. The former MVP will control his destiny over the offseason. Whether or not that leads to Bellinger returning is still up in the air. But bottom line, the Yankees are very much in the running for his 2026 services.
