Cody Bellinger is heading to free agency this winter, and the Yankees know it’s coming.
The left-handed slugger has a $25 million player option for 2026 built into his current deal, but he won’t be using it after the season he’s having. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Bellinger is set to decline the option and chase a nine-figure contract instead.
“At 30, Bellinger will be one of the best bats on the market when he turns down his $25 million player option (which includes a $5 million buyout),” Passan writes. “He’s on pace to put up his most home runs and RBIs since his 2019 NL MVP campaign and will seek nine figures this winter.”
The numbers back up that confidence. Bellinger’s hitting .278 with 27 home runs and 11 stolen bases through Thursday, putting together his most productive offensive season since that MVP year in Los Angeles.
For the Yankees, losing Bellinger would hurt. He’s been crucial to their lineup balance, providing left-handed pop in a group that skews heavily right-handed. Without his production, their season wouldn’t be going nearly as well.
But keeping him around? That’s where things get interesting.
Sure, the Yankees have historically paid whoever they want. But this isn’t the same landscape where New York could simply outbid everyone else. Multiple big markets are throwing around serious money now, and the Yankees have to consider how crowded things might get at Bellinger’s positions.
What makes this situation different is that Bellinger’s proven he can still be an impact player when healthy. He’s not just chasing a payday based on past performance – he’s earned it with what he’s doing right now.
The way I see it, Bellinger’s betting on himself and winning. He’s made himself a pretty penny for the future, and he’ll definitely have options to choose from.
There’s just some uncertainty around where that future will take place. The Yankees would love to keep him, but at nine figures? That’s a different conversation entirely.
