The Yankees’ option to remain immovable in contract talks ultimately worked out, and Cody Bellinger is staying in the Bronx.
The veteran outfielder/first baseman has agreed to a five-year, $162.5 million deal to stay with New York, per multiple reports on Wednesday. The deal includes opt-outs after the second and third years, as well as a no-trade clause.
It brings a weeks-long stalemate to an end, as the Yankees were unwilling to go more than five years on a deal, while Bellinger and his agent, Scot Boras, held out for a seven-year deal.
But Bellinger’s market ultimately dried up, especially after the crosstown rival Mets signed Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal last week before acquiring center fielder Luis Robert from the Chicago White Sox late Tuesday night. They were seen as the only notable remaining competitors for the 30-year-old.
Regardless of how it happened, the Yankees have retained their second-most invaluable bat behind Aaron Judge. In his debut season in the Bronx, the 2019 NL MVP posted an .813 OPS with 29 home runs and 98 RBI.
It was a solid first season for a Yankees team that pivoted after losing Juan Soto to the Mets. They acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs in December of 2024, and his presence stabilized the middle of the lineup enough to get New York to the postseason.
But an ALDS exit to the Toronto Blue Jays and no other moves to bolster the offense raise understandable questions for the Yankees’ prospects to compete in 2026, though they will be relying on Gerrit Cole returning to help bolster the top of the rotation alongside Max Fried and Carlos Rodon.
Things could be looking a lot grimmer, though, had Bellinger called the Yankees’ bluff and gotten a long-term deal elsewhere. He turned down the team’s initial $20 million qualifying offer to hit free agency.
