It feels inevitable because the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs have seemingly been locked in talks about Cody Bellinger for what feels like weeks.
The former MVP fits the Yankees’ needs at first base and left field and also their need for a left-handed bat. His swing is a perfect fit for the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium.
But could the Yankees lose out on this deal to a mystery team?
The Athletic’s Cubs beat reporter Sahadev Sharma hinted as much in his Dec. 16 appearance on MLB Network Radio.
“I believe there are other suitors. I haven’t cracked down exactly, but there are names that I’m not confident in (saying). I guess I’d say… I don’t like just throwing names out there, but I know there are,” Sharma said on Power Alley. “And I believe that at one point I was told that there’s a suitor that was higher on the list of the Yankees, that was about a week ago.”
A day before New York Post columnist Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees and Cubs were still not close on a deal, citing the money that Bellinger is owed.
The 29-year-old is coming off a decent year slashing .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs and could not only help the Yankees fill their hole at first base after they bought out veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo but also in the outfield.
The Yankees are looking for power at first base and Bellinger has had it in the past, hitting a career-high 47 homers in 2019 and 26 in 2023. He is owed around $52.5 million on the $80 million deal he signed with the Cubs.