One of the last big free agents came off the board on January 21. Cody Bellinger fit in very well with the Yankees last season and he’s sticking around, as New York re-signed him to a five-year deal.
A Look at Bellinger
When the Yankees traded for Cody Bellinger in December 2024, the move gave the team a left-handed power bat to replace Juan Soto. And, amidst the year of the torpedo bat, Bellinger had a fantastic overall campaign.
Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs, as well as 13 stolen bases.
He finished the 2025 season with the 56th-best wOBA (.347) in the Majors among players with 350+ plate appearances last season (242 in total). Bellinger also finished in a tie for 39th among all players for most extra-base hits (59) in the league.
Bellinger is years removed from his re-awakening with the Cubs from the 2023 campaign. However, this is a different version of Bellinger this past season, at least when it came to his batted-ball profile.
Now 30 years of age, Bellinger — when things are going right for him — is an above-average pull hitter who can also go with pitches when need be and swing-and-miss very little.
His K% (13.7%) was pristine, as it ranked among the top-25 in the game. And, he was able to cut down his Chase% a bit, from 32.4% in 2024 to 30% in 2025. But where Bellinger changed was the pull rate and fly-ball rates, as his Pull Air BB% was 24.7%, the highest of his MLB career since his MVP-winning campaign from 2019.
That helped Bellinger put up very good numbers in Yankee Stadium. Bellinger slashed .302/.365/.544 with 18 home runs and 33 extra-base hits across 337 plate appearances at home.
Defensively, Bellinger received significant time in left, center, and right field last season. He still had one of the better arms in baseball last season. Additionally, his +7 OAA in the field last season was well above the league median.
Per ESPN, the Yankees have re-signed Cody Bellinger to a five-year deal worth $162.5MM. It comes with a $20MM signing bonus, a full no-trade clause, and opts-outs after the second and third years in the deal.
Analysis
When the Mets traded for Luis Robert Jr., that move gave the Yankees’ cross-town rivals their center fielder. Bellinger was believed to be a player of interest for the Mets but that now no longer becomes relevant.
The Yankees have been busy over the last few weeks after what was a very quiet first few weeks of the winter. A week after bringing in pitcher Ryan Weathers from the Marlins, the Yankees now solidify their outfield with Bellinger.
With Bellinger, the Yankees simply have more options when it comes to lineup construction. He slotted as a #3 and #4 hitter for much of 2025, batting behind Aaron Judge for much of the year. He played in all three outfield positions, and his ability to hit for power and play above-average defense is incredibly valuable.
From a long-term view, this move also has consequences.
Assuming the Yankees don’t bring back Trent Grisham after 2026, Bellinger will be on the roster for 2027 (also assuming there won’t be a lockout). The signing provides stability, and also means room for error should Spencer Jones, now on the 40-man roster, have problems at the MLB level.
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