The New York Yankees received an honest message regarding Cody Bellinger, who could be the next domino to fall after Alex Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs on Jan. 10, per MLB.com.
Before Bregman signed with Chicago, it was Bregman, Bellinger, Kyle Tucker, and Bo Bichette as the top free-agent hitters left on the market, and now one is gone. On Jan. 10, SNY’s John Harper shared his thoughts on what the Bregman signing means for Bellinger.
“It sets the bar higher, I think, for Bellinger in particular,” Harper said. “Maybe Tucker. Bregman is going to be 32 [on March 30]. He’s a year older than Bellinger. He’s three years older than Tucker. Tucker is going to be asking for more years. We know that.
“Bellinger is going to be asking the same thing. That’s a lot of money for Bregman, $35 million. [The Cubs] want to win. I’m all for it. Go get your guys. But I don’t know if this is going to turn the market loose on anybody, because the only two big guys we’re talking about are Bellinger and Tucker as far as position players.”
MLB Insider Shares Update on Cody Bellinger and the Yankees
Bellinger batted .272 with 160 hits, 29 homers, 98 RBIs, and 89 runs scored in 152 games in 2025, per StatMuse. On Jan. 9, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal appeared on “Foul Territory” and shared the latest on Bellinger, as the Yankees issued a warning to the player over his contract demand.
“I’m sure [the Yankees] have some concerns about bidding against themselves, but the Mets have been reported to be on Bellinger as well,” Rosenthal said. “When players of a certain level are out there, and people say they have no market, I’m always skeptical because good players always have teams interested… If [Bellinger] got a $30 million AAV, it would be the fourth highest for an outfielder. That’s pretty good, and five years isn’t bad either.
“I’m sure Bellinger and his agent, Scott Boras, do want greater length, and they have every right to seek it. I just don’t know that they’re going to get it. And it certainly sounds like they’re not going to get it from the Yankees. And then the question becomes, where else would the Mets do that? The Mets have been more inclined to do shorter deals, too.”
Cody Bellinger Is Defended for His Contract Demands
Moreover, Rosenthal sought to understand why Bellinger and his camp might be holding firm on their stance of seeking a long-term contract in free agency rather than settling for a short-term agreement and potentially having to opt out to test the market again.
“The question is, at what level are they interested in?” Rosenthal added. “Cody Bellinger [at] $30-plus million a year for five years would be a good deal for a guy who has not gotten a long-term deal yet, right? At the same time, he’s probably looking at, like, ‘I’m younger than Alonso, I’m younger than Schwarber, and those guys got five years. Why shouldn’t I get longer?’ That would be his perspective on it.”
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