It seems that interest from a division rival forced the New York Yankees’ hand, and made them complete the Cody Bellinger trade under less favorable terms.
For months, the Yankees have been linked to a potential trade for the one-time National League MVP. The lefty-hitting outfielder would be a perfect fit in Yankee Stadium as a hitter but he would also force Aaron Judge to a corner outfield spot or be a great replacement for departing first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
That is why when a trade was finalized last week, it received a lot of praise from around the baseball world. However, it took some time to hammer out a deal, and a major sticking point, reportedly, was the $47 million still owed to the 29-year-old.
The Yankees allegedly wanted the Cubs to pick up a solid portion of that money. In the end, they were only able to extract $5 million a year from Chicago to help pay off the two-time All-Star’s contract. But a new report implies New York would have remained in their game of chicken with the Cubs if not for a rival team showing interest in Bellinger.