Yankees Get Unfortunate Prediction on Cody Bellinger's Free Agency Decision

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New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger

The New York Yankees took somewhat of a chance when they acquired Cody Bellinger in a deal with the Chicago Cubs during the offseason. Bellinger plays at an above-average level, but he remains far from his MVP-caliber form.

Despite that, throughout the 2025 season, he’s hitting .275 with 25 home runs, 79 RBIs, and just 66 strikeouts in 477 at-bats. As a free agent this winter, Bellinger has set himself up well.

The Yankees have some decisions to make with Bellinger, but it’ll only be regarding them, hoping he opts into his deal for another season.

Bellinger has a $25 million option, but the expectation around Major League Baseball is for him to opt out of it.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand says Bellinger will opt out of his contract and land a long-term deal in free agency.

“After taking a step backward in 2024, Bellinger’s move to the Bronx has been a success: He’s hit 24 home runs with 75 RBIs and an .810 OPS in 120 games for the Yankees. Bellinger picked up his $27.5 million player option for 2025, but with one final option remaining on the three-year, $80 million deal he signed with the Cubs in February 2024, Bellinger is likely to parlay his strong season into a new long-term deal in free agency,” he wrote .

Is Cody Bellinger’s Time in New York Over?

It remains uncertain whether the New York Yankees will bring Bellinger back, as they have multiple young players waiting in the wings for an opportunity to play. If they believe they can replace his production with Spencer Jones, which would be a bit questionable considering what Bellinger has done throughout his career, the Yankees may go that route.

Some don’t believe he’ll return to the Yankees, including Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, who had him taking a three or four-year deal with the San Francisco Giants.

“Bellinger has a $25M player option for 2026, but he has re-harnessed his slugging well enough that he’ll probably decline it and set his sights upon another 3/$80M or better type of deal,” he wrote . “(Prediction: Bellinger signs a three-year or four-year deal with the Giants.)”

Yankees’ Cody Bellinger Needs Strong Finish

It’ll be important for Bellinger to have a strong ending to the campaign.

He has seven hits in his last 10 at-bats as of Aug. 28, showing that he’s only getting better as this season progresses.

Not only do the New York Yankees need him to be at his best at the end of the season, but others believe that for him to get the money he’s looking for, he’ll need to play well in September and October, including Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com, who named him one of 10 stars who need to finish the campaign on a high note.

“The last time Bellinger reached free agency, after a stellar rebound season with the Cubs in 2023, there were still some lingering doubts about him stemming from his immense struggles across ’21-22 (.611 OPS). He ended up returning to the Cubs after the start of Spring Training, signing a three-year, $80 million deal with a pair of opt-outs.

“Two years later, he is expected to make another run at free agency by declining his 2026 player option. His chances of eclipsing his last deal will be much greater if he avoids a season-ending slump like the one he had to start off 2025, slashing .198/.270/.340 over his first 30 games for the Yankees,” he wrote .

Jon Conahan covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. Since 2019, his sports coverage has appeared at Sports Illustrated, oddschecker, ClutchPoints and Sportskeeda. More about Jon Conahan