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The New York Yankees could explore the trade market to replace Juan Soto’s bat and in the outfield.
The Yankees were in talks to acquire Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, but Houston ended up dealing him to the Chicago Cubs. Now, according to Peter Bottle of the New York Post, the Yankees are linked to potentially trading for Bellinger from the Cubs.
“Trade talks with the Cubs involving Cody Bellinger are ongoing and he could be their move, sources told The Post, especially with Kyle Tucker off the board to Chicago in a blockbuster trade Friday,” Bottle wrote… “In a potential Bellinger deal, the Yankees want the Cubs to pick up a chunk of the two years and $52.5 million remaining on Bellinger’s contract — which includes a $25 million opt-out for 2026 — and they are believed to be more than $10 million apart on an agreement.”
The Yankees want the Cubs to retain money on Bellinger, which could hold up trade talks. But, Bottle believes there is interest from New York in wanting to acquire the slugger.
“The former NL MVP is considered a strong fit for the Yanks because he’s a left-handed bat who can play either first base or center field, which would enable them to move reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge back to right following Soto’s defection,” Bottle wrote.
Bellinger is the former NL MVP as he won the award in 2019 and won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. Last season, he hit .266 with 18 home runs and 78 RBIs
Yankees GM Talks No Suite For Soto
Soto ended up signing a massive 15-year deal with the New York Mets.
Part of the deal Soto got is getting his own suite for games, which the Yankees wouldn’t include. However, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman doesn’t think the suite was that big of an issue.
“I don’t think the suite is a possession arrow one way or the other. Especially when you’re making that kind of money,” Cashman said. “We provide a suite for the family members, for the wives. We’re probably one of the more unique organizations that provide seats outside automatically, but we do provide a suite because of the weather. If they want to be upstairs, they have a choice. We have a great family room set up with babysitting. It’s a great, safe setup to take care of families.
“When we have a roster with a lot of great players and high-end players, we’ve gone through a process in previous negotiations where (suite discussions occurred) and that is what we did. We’re gonna honor those. No regrets there,” Cashman added.
As Cashman says, he has no regrets over how he handled the Soto negotiations despite not re-signing the superstar outfielder.
Cubs Acquire Tucker
The Cubs could make Bellinger expendable after they acquired Tucker.
Chicago acquired Tucker from the Astros for third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski, and infield prospect Cam Smith.
Tucker is in the final year of club control. The star outfielder dealt with injuries last season as he played in just 78 games hitting .289 with 23 home runs and 49 RBIs.
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Yankees Linked to Trading for Former MVP to Replace Juan Soto