Cody Bellinger’s sweepstakes have been drawn out this entire offseason, but after top free agents Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette made their free agency decisions last week, all eyes turned to Bellinger and where he will land. On Wednesday, Jeff Passan reported that the New York Yankees are signing Cody Bellinger, which means the Toronto Blue Jays have missed out on the past three free agents they’ve been linked to.
The Blue Jays’ being in the Bellinger sweepstakes had been in recent reports by many MLB insiders, but it likely stemmed from Toronto being more strongly linked to Kyle Tucker and ultimately being unable to land him. Now, while it’s been a busy offseason for Toronto, the Yankees’ landing of Cody Bellinger may add some fuel to the Blue Jays’ fire the rest of this offseason. The contract is five years, $162.5 million, and has opt-outs after the second and third years.
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Cody Bellinger Staying in the Bronx
This move felt extremely necessary for the New York Yankees, who had fallen behind in the hot stove season to other AL East teams like the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles.
Bellinger seemed to enjoy playing for the Yankees in 2025 after hitting 29 home runs and driving in 98 runs.
The Scott Boras client played the market perfectly, and ultimately ended up getting the Yankees to match Bellinger’s contract demands.
GettyYankees get clear message on Cody Bellinger’s future.
The need for an outfielder doesn’t go away for Toronto either. They can now turn to free agents like Harrison Bader or Austin Hays, or another external option is to trade for a player like Steven Kwan.
Either way, the top two outfielders are now officially off the board, and the Blue Jays front office must pivot.
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What Does Bellinger Signing Mean for Blue Jays?
Does this put any added pressure on the Toronto Blue Jays for this upcoming season?
It shouldn’t at all. The Blue Jays just eliminated the Yankees in the 2025 MLB playoffs, and have still been busier this offseason than New York.
The Yankees bringing back Bellinger almost felt like a given, and although it sucks to miss out on a high-profile free agent like this, Toronto should still be considered the team to beat in the AL East. However, losing Bo Bichette (and missing out on Bellinger and Tucker) does hurt from an offensive standpoint, and that could lead to the Blue Jays adding more production from the external market.
As for what remains for the Blue Jays this offseason, they will likely continue being linked to the top position player free agents. And as far as their outfield look in 2026, it remains the same after this Cody Bellinger decision. Daulton Varsho, Nathan Lukes, and Addison Barger will lead the charge among the group, and George Springer is still one of the game’s best hitters.
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Report: Blue Jays Get Final Decision on Cody Bellinger