Cody Bellinger will decline his $25MM participant possibility and turn into a free agent, reviews Jorge Castillo of ESPN. That was by no means a lot unsure, because the outfielder will hit the open market after one robust season with the Yankees. He’ll accumulate a $5MM buyout, half of which might be paid by the Cubs.
The Yanks had been tied to Bellinger in free company and commerce rumors for years. That lastly got here to fruition final offseason with what amounted to a wage dump commerce with Chicago. Bellinger was coming off a relative down ’24 season (.266/.325/.426) and handed on his first opt-out likelihood in his three-year deal. The Cubs pulled off the Kyle Tucker commerce so as to add a wanted influence bat in the course of the order. That left them with out an outfield spot for Bellinger, in order that they despatched him to the Yankees for basically no return.
New York absorbed $47.5MM of the $52.5MM remaining on Bellinger’s contract. The Cubs paid $2.5MM of his $27.5MM wage this season and are liable for the opposite $2.5MM on the buyout. The Yankees wound up paying $27.5MM for one yr — $25MM in wage and the remaining half of the buyout.
That proved a worthwhile funding even when the crew had a disappointing exit on this week’s Division Sequence. Bellinger performed about in addition to might be anticipated. He hit .272/.334/.480 throughout 656 plate appearances. Bellinger hit 29 homers, his finest single-season complete since he related on 47 longballs throughout his 2019 MVP season. He swiped 13 bases whereas slicing his strikeout charge to a career-low 13.7% clip.
Bellinger’s left-handed swing appeared tailor made for Yankee Stadium. He hit 18 homers with a .302/.365/.544 batting line at residence. His highway numbers had been basically league common, as he slashed .241/.301/.414 exterior the Bronx. That would give some groups pause about how the bat will play if he indicators elsewhere. Bellinger didn’t discover the sturdy market he wished when he was a free agent in the course of the 2023-24 offseason, nor was there important commerce curiosity when the Cubs shopped him final winter. If there have been, the Yankees would’ve wanted to surrender greater than journeyman righty Cody Poteet to accumulate him.
That’s largely due to Bellinger’s pedestrian batted ball metrics. He has been within the backside quarter of the league in common exit velocity in every of the previous three seasons. He doesn’t have a ton of bat velocity and definitely doesn’t hit the ball as arduous as he did early in his profession — earlier than he suffered a shoulder damage that tanked his numbers between 2021-22. Bellinger has compensated for the drop in bat velocity by slicing his strikeouts each season, and he carries a .281/.338/.477 line in practically 1800 plate appearances over the previous three years.
Bellinger returns to the market a number of months after his thirtieth birthday. He’s younger sufficient to hunt a five- or six-year deal. Bellinger is a greater defender and arguably superior all-around hitter than Anthony Santander, who signed for 5 years with a internet current worth round $69MM final winter. There’s little purpose Bellinger shouldn’t beat that contract pretty handily. It wouldn’t in any respect be stunning if his camp begins out with an asking value within the $100-150MM vary.
The Cubs issued Bellinger a qualifying supply after the 2023 season. That makes him ineligible to obtain a QO for the remainder of his profession. The Yankees wouldn’t obtain any type of compensation if he indicators elsewhere, nor would one other crew forfeit a choose. New York can and doubtless will make a qualifying supply, which might land round $22MM, to Trent Grisham. They’re additionally set to have Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, Paul Goldschmidt and a handful of position gamers hit the open market. Williams entered the season as a qualifying supply candidate, however the Yankees are in all probability content material to let him transfer on after an uneven season in pinstripes.
