The New York Yankees Are ‘The Clear Favorites’ To Land Cody Bellinger
After Trent Grisham accepted his $22 million qualifying offer yesterday, the Yankees’ offseason just became much more complicated than expected. With payroll sitting around $285 million, Hal Steinbrenner is going to have to spend well over $300 million if he wants to add any more significant talent to the roster in the upcoming season. Cody Bellinger remains a top priority and is expected to have a huge market.
Yankees Need To Spend Big
To retain Bellinger, the New York Yankees are going to have to spend at least $30 million per season. With how much he brings on both offense and defense, a ton of teams are expected to drive up his price. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com is reporting that the Yankees are still the clear favorites to sign the star outfielder:
The Yankees and Bellinger were a perfect match, and a reunion here makes sense for both parties. Yankee Stadium is built perfectly for his swing, evidenced by Bellinger’s .912 career OPS in the Bronx, and his positional versatility gives manager Aaron Boone lineup options. New York is the clear favorite to sign Bellinger.”
What Bellinger brought to The Bronx last year was extremely valuable. He made a handful of plays on defense that saved them games, while winning them games with his bat and stepping up in big moments. Their biggest hole on the roster is in left field, and Bellinger would quickly fill that gap.
The biggest worry with bringing him back is how expensive he’ll be, and how long the contract will be. The Yankees have to be careful with Bellinger because overpaying him could set them back for years and turn into a really bad deal. For those who are worried about them running back the same team from last year, the biggest moves would come in the trade market. If they were to re-sign Bellinger, there would be no consistent playing time for Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones, making it easier to trade them.
What Else Do They Need?
As Brian Cashman said at last year’s trade deadline, you can never have enough pitching. Jasson DomÃnguez and Spencer Jones could help the Yankees land a big name, especially with many high-end starters available. With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon set to miss the start of next season, the team needs to trade for a top-of-the-rotation starter.
Potential trade targets include Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Freddy Peralta. I don’t see New York signing a starter in free agency other than Tatsuya Imai, given the current payroll commitments to Rodon, Fried, and Cole. Trading for a low-cost, controllable pitcher should be their focus.
