Cody Bellinger Price Tag Skyrocketing for Yankees
Will he stay or will he go? That's what New York Yankees fans want to know about outfielder Cody Bellinger. The 30-year-old is expected to opt out of his three-year, $80 million contract following the 2025 World Series by turning down his $25 million option for 2026.
Both Bellinger and Trent Grisham will be available to the highest bidder, meaning the Yankees' outfield could look significantly different in 2026. However New York is expected to make a hard push for Bellinger, who resurrected his career in the Bronx.
Yankees Will Try To Keep Bellinger
"I think they will probably do what they can to try to keep Bellinger, who fits them well and I think is an exceptional player," the New York Post's Joel Sherman reports. "And as far as what the number is going to be, it's not that long ago that this model franchise that the Yankees fans are now have either anger or jealousy towards the Dodgers non-tendered Cody Bellinger. That's not that long ago. He was so bad after being an MVP for him that they non-tendered him.
"Last offseason, a Scott Boras client opted into his contract in Cody Bellinger, which meant that he was concerned he could not get a good deal in the marketplace," Sherman added. "A year later, I hear some numbers from people that do not reflect what those two realities, and those two realities certainly will be taken into account by the industry.
How Much Will Bellinger Cost?
"So does that mean he gets five (years) at $110 (million)? Or does that mean, hell he outplayed Kyle Tucker this year, and he gets eight (years) at $240 (million)?" Sherman continued. "This is one of those ones where it's like, 'Yeah I hear you guys.'
"I think the Yankees are going to kind of be in it. And my suspicion is do what the Yankees usually do, which is when they really want a player, they let Scott Boras in this case know, 'We really want your player. If he really wants us, don't let him sign without us getting in at the end,'" Sherman concluded.
The Yankees acquired Bellinger in a December 2024 trade with the Chicago Cubs.
He proceeded to hit 29 home runs and drive in 98 runs while posting a 5.0 WAR in New York, his highest totals since winning the 2019 National League MVP Award with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
1 Quiet Reason the Raiders' Offense Has Struggled This Season
The Las Vegas Raiders' offense has struggled this season for various reasons, mainly subpar play along the offensive line and at quarterback. However, the lack of playmakers at skill positions, for various reasons, have held the Raiders' offense back.
Raiders Rookies Must Improve
The Raiders invested a second-round pick into drafting Jack Bech, proving how much they believed in him before he ever put a Raiders jersey on. However, Bech must do his part and work through the growing pains only the Raiders' coaching staff knows about.
Bech and Dont'e Thornton were brought in to be two of those playmakers but have yet to make much of an impact. Bech's lack of playing time on an offense in desperate need of help at wide receiver speaks volumes about where Las Vegas' coaching staff believes he is developmentally.
“The more plays that we can log with the new guys, Jack [Bech] and Dont'e [Thornton Jr.], we can show them the things that they need to improve on and the things that they're not quite as sharp on. It helps them. And there's some pain in that too. There's some pain in there that we have to undergo. But it's how you do it,” Carroll said.
“By the time you get to the middle of the season, these guys should have things really cleaned up, and they should be ready to go and we can count on them and they can come through and not be error repeaters, you know? And that's what we're working hard at."
During the Bye Week, Raiders' Wide Receivers Coach Chris Beatty gave an update on the development of both of Las Vegas' wide receivers. If the Raiders can get Bech and Thornton up to speed quickly, it could alleviate some of the issues they are having on offense.
"Some ups and downs. We have got to be more consistent. Both of those guys are learning a lot. Theres good and bad in everything. First couple of games, Dont'e had an explosive play in every game," Beatty said.
"He has kind of fell back a little bit and some of the fundamentals, we have got to continue to build on. Same thing with Jack. They have done okay but there is a lot more out there. So, we will keep pushing them and getting the most out of them."
