Cody Bellinger opts out of Yankees contract to become free agent, source says
Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger does some practice swings at a workout prior to the ALDS against the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct. 3 at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
As was expected, Cody Bellinger is officially a free agent.
The outfielder, who had a standout year in his lone season in the Bronx after the Yankees acquired him last winter, opted out of the final year of his contract on Monday, a source confirmed.
Bellinger, who signed a three-year, $80-million contract with the Cubs before the 2024 season, was due $25 million in the final year of that deal.
There is mutual interest in a reunion with Bellinger and the Yankees though, as is always the case in these matters, the price will have to be right, and there will be plenty of other teams interested in the 30-year-old outfielder/first baseman.
The Yankees have an uncertain outfield situation – other than Aaron Judge in right, of course – as Trent Grisham is a free agent and is unlikely to be back. The organization still isn’t exactly sure what it has in 22-year-old Jasson Dominguez, a one-time hyped prospect who came up as a centerfielder and had difficulty adjusting to leftfield this past season. His playing time dried up, especially in the season’s second half, which continued in the postseason as Dominguez received just one at-bat total in the Yankees’ seven playoff games.
And though overall the organization remains high on current top prospect Spencer Jones, primarily a centerfielder, there remain questions about the 24-year-old, whose plate discipline has been an issue throughout his development.
Bellinger, meanwhile, answered any and all questions accompanying him entering 2025. The left-handed hitting veteran, a former NL MVP (with the Dodgers in 2019), hit .272 with 29 homers, 98 RBIs, an .813 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 152 games. In addition to providing protection for Judge in the lineup, Bellinger played standout defense at all three outfield positions – he saw the most action in left (85 games) – as well as at first base.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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