Cody Bellinger is perceived as the second-most valuable outfielder on the free agent market, and it’s a tad surprising he hasn’t been scooped up yet.
Some people think that Bellinger’s agent, Scott Boras, is waiting for Kyle Tucker to get signed, so that he can use Tucker’s dollar figure as leverage or a guide in crafting his own negotiation tactics with teams interested in Bellinger.
Bellinger had a really good year with the New York Yankees last season, and Yanks GM Brian Cashman has been saying all offseason long that he wants to bring Bellinger back. The Yankees reportedly even prefer Belli over the younger and widely-rated better player in Tucker.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden just dropped an update on Bellinger, which won’t necessarily make Yankees fans feel any better about Cody’s potential return.
“The market for Cody Bellinger is robust with the most likely result that he signs with a big market, contending team as expected,” Bowden wrote on Wednesday afternoon. Bowden also said that the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers are the most likely landing spots for Bellinger, in that order.
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Playing in 152 games in 2025, Belli hit .272 with 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .334 on-base percentage, and .480 slugging percentage, providing power, defense, and versatility in the outfield and at first base.
Across his nine-year MLB career spanning 1,157 games, Bellinger holds a .261 batting average, 225 home runs, 695 RBIs, and .817 OPS. He debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers, earning National League Rookie of the Year in 2017 and MVP in 2019, plus a Gold Glove and two Silver Sluggers. After a dip in production, he rebounded with the Chicago Cubs before a trade to the Yankees.
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Featured image via Dan Hamilton/Imagn Images
