MLB Insider believes New York Yankees in on free agent Cody Bellinger - "[They] will be in there until the very end"
Cody Bellinger will certainly be one of the most sought-after free agents this offseason. The former National League MVP enjoyed a bounceback season last year with the Chicago Cubs and will certainly be looking to parlay that success into a lucrative contract.
Although this year's free agent class is headlined by the two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger will garner the most interest from teams looking to add a power-hitting, left-handed batter. After signing a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Chicago Cubs last season, the veteran slugger bet on himself in order to secure a new long-term deal.
Well, it appears that the gamble will pay dividends for Bellinger. Some experts believe that the contract he signs this offseason could be valued at over $200 million, with several teams vying for his signature. Of the teams most often linked to the outfielder, the New York Yankees have emerged as one of the teams that could most aggressively target the free agent.
According to MLB Insider Jon Morosi, he believes that the New York Yankees will pursue him for the duration of the free agency. When discussing the potential union of the two parties, Morosi said, "I believe the Yankees will be in there until the very end".
"I believe the Yankees will be in there until the very end on [Cody] Bellinger this offseason." - @jonmorosi on #MLBNHotStove" - @MLBNetwork
That said, Morosi also named several other teams that will likely pursue Cody Bellinger. While he did not rule out a return to the Chicago Cubs, Morosi said that he believes that the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants will be the top contenders to land the versatile veteran.
A closer look at Cody Bellinger's tremendous 2023 campaign
After emerging as one of the best young talents during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger soon found himself trending in the wrong direction. Bellinger went from winning the 2019 National League MVP Award to finding his contract non-tendered by the Dodgers in 2022.
Due to his contract not being tendered by the Dodgers, Cody Bellinger was able to land himself a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs to prove himself as a viable star player in the MLB. He did just that, hitting a career-best .307 batting average with 26 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. This performance earned him the second Silver Slugger Award of his career.