On Jan. 21, the New York Yankees reportedly re-signed free-agent hitter Cody Bellinger. ESPN reported, citing sources, that both sides agreed on a five-year, $162.5 million contract.
Moreover, the outlet adds, citing sources, that the deal includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons, a $20 million signing bonus, and a full no-trade clause. Despite the Yankees not losing Bellinger and keeping him in the fold, SNY’s Sal Licata doesn’t hold back that New York haven’t done enough to improve the team this offseason.
“Yanks are bringing back Cody Bellinger,” Licata said on the Jan. 21 edition of “Baseball Night in New York.” “Real shocker there. The Yankees needed them, and he had no better options. Clearly, the Mets didn’t really want them. So now that that’s settled, can the Yanks actually try to improve the team? The idea shouldn’t be to stay the same and hope for the best.
“It should be to get better, especially when you fell far short of your goals a year ago, and other teams in your own division have improved. What the heck has happened to the Yankees being so complacent?”
Yankees Haven’t Done Enough to Improve Squad
Meanwhile, Licta isn’t the only one who believes New York haven’t done enough to improve their roster amid other teams in the AL East improving for the 2026 MLB season.
“They’re not good enough right now,“ John Jastremski said on the same broadcast. “The Toronto Blue Jays beat them up every which way imaginable last year. In games north of the border, the Yankees couldn’t beat them. They played in the American League Division Series. It wasn’t particularly close.
“Toronto won that series in four games. I think the Yankees are making a foolish mistake if they look at their team and say, ‘Hey, guess what? Gerrit Cole is coming back.‘ Here’s our lineup. They love the stock line of, ‘Oh, we won the same amount of games as the Toronto Blue Jays last year.‘ They also lost in four games and got thoroughly outclassed.”
New York Receive Praise for Re-signing Cody Bellinger
After rumors linking Bellinger to the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, it’s the Yankees that keep their player, who hit .272 with 160 hits, 29 homers, 98 RBIs, and 89 runs scored in 152 games last season, per StatMuse.
With Bellinger returning to the Bronx, SNY analyst and former MLB general manager Jim Duquette shared his thoughts on the Yankees holding onto their player.
“The Yankees’ pursuit of Cody Bellinger ends up with him signing back with them on a five-year deal,“ Duquette said in a video published by SNY on Jan. 21. “Brian Cashman gets their guy. The Yankees and Cashman talked about him as their priority from Day 1, all the way back to the general manager’s meetings, even when he decided to become a free agent. Bellinger was the guy.
“If you look at what he did for New York, his .909 OPS at Yankee Stadium in particular, what he did in terms of protecting Aaron Judge in that lineup, his versatility and athleticism to play multiple positions, not just left field, but center field, right field, first base, a left-handed bat in that lineup. He gives them balance in the lineup as well.”
Yankees Get Reality Check Despite Cody Bellinger News