Yankees' top priorities figure to include re-signing Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger of the Yankees at bat against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 28 in Anaheim, Calif. Credit: Getty Images/Ronald Martinez
LAS VEGAS — Brian Cashman isn’t scheduled to speak to the media at the annual general managers' meetings — which officially began Monday — until Wednesday afternoon.
The longtime Yankees GM will be asked a variety of questions, including how he views the order of the club’s offseason priorities.
But one of those seemingly has come into focus: re-signing free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger.
“That should be our No. 1 priority,” one organizational insider said on Monday. “He solves so many problems for us.”
Bellinger, 30, who last week opted out of the final year and $25 million of his contract to become a free agent, was the Yankees’ second most valuable position player in 2025 behind Aaron Judge.
Bellinger, whom the Yankees had been interested in adding for several years and whom they finally acquired from the Cubs last offseason in one of their pivot moves after losing out to the Mets in the Juan Soto sweepstakes, was a standout on both sides of the ball.
His lefty swing proved to be a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium, and he hit .272 with 29 homers, 98 RBIs, an .813 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 152 games. He hit .302 with 18 homers and a .909 OPS at the Stadium.
Additionally, Bellinger was a well-above-average defender at all three outfield positions — he played the most in leftfield (85 games) — and at first base. He also showed an awareness of situational hitting and a willingness to cut down on his swing with two strikes and put the ball in play.
If Bellinger signs elsewhere — certainly a possibility, as a slew of large-market teams such as the Dodgers, Phillies and Mets are looking for outfielders — the Yankees’ outfield situation suddenly will become even more unclear.
Trent Grisham received the qualifying offer — which this season is worth $22.025 million — and if he doesn’t take it, which is the organizational expectation, that will open a hole in centerfield.
Jasson Dominguez, whose playing time rapidly decreased in the season’s second half as he continued to struggle in adjusting to leftfield, is playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic, but the 22-year-old will enter spring training with plenty of questions.
The same goes for top outfield prospect Spencer Jones, who finished last season in Triple-A but whose minor-league climb has been characterized by both great promise and potential pitfalls when he reaches the big-league level (the latter caused by his annual high strikeout totals).
The Yankees have been linked to Kyle Tucker, 28, a headline outfielder whom they tried to trade for last offseason who instead went to the Cubs, but he is likely to cost significantly more than Bellinger. As is the case with Bellinger, there will be plenty of competition for his services that likely will drive up his price.
And there’s this not-so-insignificant detail: Bellinger has shown he can handle the spotlight that comes with playing in the Bronx.
“He was really impactful for us,” Cashman said at his end-of-season news conference. “He was one of the many reasons why we were in a position to believe that we were capable of great things this year . . . Certainly would love to have him with our team moving forward.”
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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