The New York Yankees have been working hard to re-sign star outfielder Cody Bellinger in MLB free agency. However, the discussions have not progressed to being close to done.
Bellinger was acquired from the Chicago Cubs last offseason in a trade. He put together a strong 2025 campaign for the Yankees and the team has shown interest in signing him long-term.
While New York has been perceived as the front-runner to get a deal done with the 30-year-old outfielder, there is concern that another team could swoop in and steal him away. Keeping that in mind, there is a new prediction that has come out for the Yankees and Bellinger that is highly concerning.
Newsweek MLB analyst Zach Pressnell has predicted that Bellinger will end up signing a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He believes that while the Dodgers are interested in Kyle Tucker as well, Bellinger would be the better option.
“The Dodgers have been closely linked to Kyle Tucker, but Bellinger makes a bit more sense,” Pressnell wrote. “Bellinger is expected to be much cheaper, and he’s notably a better defender. Considering the fact that it seems like the Dodgers could afford Tucker, they certainly should be able to afford Bellinger.”
Losing Cody Bellinger Would Be a Brutal Blow for the New York Yankees
During the 2025 MLB season with New York, Bellinger played in 152 games. He ended up hitting 29 home runs to go along with 98 RBI, while also slashing .272/.334/.480.
Those numbers show exactly why the Yankees want to bring him back.
As for where the discussions between New York and Bellinger currently stand, The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty recently provided an update on where the discussions have stalled.
“The New York Yankees’ latest multi-year contract offer to free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger featured an average annual value of more than $30 million a year as Bellinger’s camp continued to push for seven years, multiple sources briefed on the ongoing talks told The Athletic on Thursday,” Kuty wrote on January 8.
Should Pressnell’s prediction end up being true, Bellinger would change his mind about a five-year contract. He may want a long-term deal, but those haven’t materialized yet.
It’s almost a guarantee that the Yankees will continue discussing a new deal with Bellinger. However, the risk will continue getting higher that another team could come in and work out a deal quickly with the star outfielder.
What Other Rumors Are Surrounding the Yankees?
Outside of Bellinger, there have been other players mentioned as possible targets for New York.
Bo Bichette has been brought up as a potential option. He would be an interesting pickup for the Yankees, but the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox are currently viewed as the front-runners to sign him.
Tucker is another name to monitor. At this point, New York has not been a serious threat to sign the superstar outfielder, but that could change if discussions with Bellinger don’t progress.
Another potential option could be Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner. The Yankees have had previous interest in Hoerner and he could be made available after the Cubs signed Alex Bregman.
Fans are getting frustrated with how slow the offseason has been for New York. That could change at any point. Hopefully, the Yankees can get something done to bring Bellinger back.
Yankees’ Latest Cody Bellinger Prediction Is Highly Concerning