Cody Bellinger always seemed like a natural fit with the New York Yankees, and his one year in pinstripes seems to have reflected that.
The former MVP hit .272 in 2025 with 29 home runs, 13 stolen bases and a 125 OPS+. It was good enough for Bellinger to opt out of his contract, which would have paid him $52.5 million over the next two seasons.
It's no secret that the Yankees love Bellinger, and insider Joel Sherman believes the team will “probably do what they can” to bring him back in 2026.
“[He] fits them well and I think is an exceptional player,” he said in a video for the New York Post.
He also reminded fans that, while Bellinger had a resurgent season in 2025, the Los Angeles Dodgers non-tendered him in 2022 after his career appeared to crater. He then had one great year and one subpar year with the Chicago Cubs.
“He was so bad after being an MVP for [the Dodgers] that they non-tendered him,” Sherman said. “Last offseason, a Scott Boras client opted into his contract, in Cody Bellinger, which meant that he was concerned that he could not get a good deal in the marketplace.”
Now, Sherman seemed mystified at what teams might offer Bellinger.
“Does that mean he gets [five years, $110 million]?” he asked. “Or does that mean, h*ll, he outplayed Kyle Tucker this year, and he gets [eight years, $240 million]?”
That question may determine whether Bellinger stays in pinstripes. New York will have money to spend this winter with Aaron Hicks and Marcus Stroman's disastrous contracts coming off the books. But they also have multiple positions to address, with a bullpen that needs help and questions at first base. Bellinger will probably be a priority, but how far is New York willing to go?
“My suspicion is [they will] do what the Yankees usually do, which is when they really want a player, they let Scott Boras in this case know, ‘we really want your player. If he really wants us, don’t let him sign without us getting in at the end,'” Sherman explained.
