The transforming of the post-Juan Soto Yankees took one other necessary step Tuesday, after they acquired former MVP Cody Bellinger from the Cubs.
The long-anticipated commerce offers the Yankees potential replacements within the outfield and infield. Bellinger can play middle — permitting the Yankees to maneuver Aaron Decide again to proper if they need — and he can play first base, the place there’s a emptiness following Anthony Rizzo’s departure.
Bellinger, 29, has two years and $52.5 million remaining on his contract, which comes with a $25 million participant possibility for 2026 that may be purchased out for $5 million.
In trade for Bellinger and $5 million to offset his price ticket, the Yankees despatched right-hander Cody Poteet to Chicago.
The groups had been negotiating how a lot cash the Cubs would come with within the deal, with the Yankees in search of $10 million earlier than the perimeters settled on half that after the Blue Jays additionally confirmed curiosity in Bellinger, in accordance with The Submit’s Jon Heyman.
The transfer got here after Soto, the Yankees’ No. 1 precedence of the offseason, spurned them and signed a 15-year, $765 million cope with the Mets.
The Yankees lastly received Bellinger, the 2019 NL MVP with the Dodgers, after the Cubs landed Kyle Tucker — another Yankee target — from Houston in a deal final week.
Bellinger’s father, Clay, performed elements of three seasons for the Yankees, together with for the World Collection title groups in 1999 and 2000.
Since shedding out on Soto, the Yankees have added Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million free agent deal, traded with Milwaukee for closer Devin Williams and now picked up Bellinger, whose defensive versatility permits them to both go after one other outfielder or first baseman.
The Yankees have proven curiosity in free-agent options at first base, together with Pete Alonso, Christian Walker and Carlos Santana, whereas Josh Bell and Paul Goldschmidt additionally stay accessible.
Given the wealth of accessible first basemen — an inventory that additionally contains potential commerce targets reminiscent of Cleveland’s Josh Naylor, Texas’ Nathaniel Lowe and Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz — Bellinger appears extra prone to play middle.
If Bellinger leads to the outfield, Decide may transfer again to proper, however even with Bellinger’s energy from the left facet, there’s no method he and Decide can replicate the once-in-a-generation 1-2 punch Decide and Soto did this previous season.
With the acquisition of Bellinger, the Yankees are betting on him going again to his 2023 manufacturing, when he had an .881 OPS and 139 OPS-plus with the Cubs, his greatest marks for the reason that ’19 MVP season.
His numbers slipped final 12 months, as a part of what’s been an up-and-down profession, which started with a 39-homer, Rookie of the 12 months marketing campaign in 2017.
Bellinger underwent shoulder surgical procedure after the 2020 season and struggled by a horrific 2021 and an unsightly ’22 earlier than being non-tendered by the Dodgers and signing with the Cubs.
Now he’ll be a part of a Yankees crew that rode a lineup led by Decide and Soto to the AL East title and their first World Collection look since 2009.
As soon as Soto departed for Queens, it was clear the Yankees would look a lot completely different shifting ahead, particularly with the departures of Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and Alex Verdugo, as properly.
As GM Brian Cashman famous final week, the Yankees had but to select up a place participant.
That modified Tuesday, however second base additionally nonetheless must be addressed — until Jazz Chisholm Jr. strikes over to the best facet of the infield, which opens up third base — and Jasson Dominguez figures to get his first shot at incomes an on a regular basis job within the outfield after a disappointing 2023 season coming off Tommy John surgical procedure.
“The job isn’t completed right here,” Cashman stated final week. “We’ve received to maneuver ahead and determine a option to put the most effective crew on paper that we are able to. Now’s the time to strike within the wintertime with the stock we’ve through trades or free company. Finally that stock goes to get so much smaller. … We wish to make the most of that chance.”
— Extra reporting by Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman
