The New York Yankees have accomplished their biggest obstacle this offseason: bringing back Cody Bellinger. Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Yankees and Bellinger are in agreement on a five-year, $162.5 million deal. There are opt-outs after the second and third season, a $20 million signing bonus, and a full no-trade clause.
Yankees Bring Back Bellinger
After a long offseason, the deal is finally done. Brian Cashman held firm on his five-year offer when Scott Boras and Bellinger pushed for seven, and it worked. Paying him a little over $32 million is a fantastic deal. With this deal, Bellinger will be the fifth-highest-paid outfielder in the sport. The Yankees get their guy back and will now look to add to the rest of the roster with some urgency as Spring Traning rapidly approaches.
Bellinger was holding up a lot of other moves for the Yankees, and they can now use Jasson Domínguez and/or Spencer Jones in a big trade package. Bellinger gives the Yankees versatility in the outfield and can also play first base, and he played at a high level in the Bronx last year. His swing is built for Yankee Stadium, and he will look to perform at a high level for years to come.
Scott Boras Finally Lost
After playing hardball all winter, Boras finally caved. He always pushes to get the most amount of money for his clients, but couldn’t get what he thought Bellinger was worth. $32 million is still a good amount annually for him, and if he has another great season, he can enter the free agent market and try to get a shorter-term deal with a higher annual value. It took a long time, but the deal finally came to fruition.
Bellinger returns to New York, where his dad played, a dream destination for him throughout his career. Last year, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480/.814 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI. He was great alongside Aaron Judge and will once again be a massive piece of the Yankees’ lineup as they look to win their first World Series title since 2009. Even with Bellinger back, there’s more work to be done.
Job Isn’t Finished
Getting Bellinger back helps solidify an already strong lineup, but Cashman needs to make more moves. Ryan Weathers was a good start, and they need another high-end arm to add to their rotation. Freddy Peralta remains the top name connected to the Yankees, and now that Bellinger is back, we’ll see if the Yankees can get a deal done quickly.
The good news is that the Yankees’ roster doesn’t need as much work as it did last offseason, but a few more pieces are required to really position themselves well in a strong American League and the American League East. The Blue Jays have gotten significantly better, and New York needs more moves to catch up to Toronto, which embarrassed them in the ALDS last year.
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