The New York Yankees lost Juan Soto to the New York Mets last winter, and one of the moves they made to try and replace him was trading for Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs.
The Yankees traded Cody Poteet to the Cubs in exchange for Bellinger, who opted into the second year of his three-year, $80 million contract. However, through 25 games, he is slashing .191/.255/.315 with just two home runs. In 2023, he had a .751 OPS and 18 home runs.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller listed him as one of the biggest busts of the first month of this MLB season, and noted that he “could be out of a job” soon.
“Even so, both his expected batting average and expecting slugging percentage are as bad or almost as bad as they’ve ever been in his career, with no indication that he’s about to turn the corner,” wrote Miller. “With Trent Grisham out to a great start and Jasson Dominguez finally entrenched as the regular left fielder, Bellinger could be out of a job if this slow start does continue.
Bellinger is a two-time All-Star and former National League MVP Award winner. After some down seasons in Los Angeles, he seemed to find his best form again with the Cubs. That’s the version of Bellinger the Yankees were hoping for.
The Yankees have World Series aspirations and cannot afford a Bellinger-sized hole in the lineup if they want to reach those goals.
