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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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When the New York Yankees lose in the playoffs, 29 other teams rejoice. On Thursday, as those teams are dancing on the Yankees' grave, decisions loom for New York.
Like every good team, the Yankees stand to lose a bunch of talent in free agency this winter. At the top of the list of stars who could leave town is outfielder Cody Bellinger, who put together his best season since 2019, when he won National League Most Valuable Player honors as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Once he opts out of the final year of his contract, Bellinger will have no shortage of suitors. He'll be 30 for the first half of next season, can play any outfield position, and as he showed this year, he can still hit 25 to 30 home runs in a park with a reasonably short right-field fence.
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The Yankees might well look to bring Bellinger back, but the other team in New York could undeniably use a new center fielder as well, which makes the two-time All-Star's market very interesting to track.
On Thursday, Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media predicted that Bellinger would sign with the New York Mets, eerily mirroring last offseason, when superstar Juan Soto ditched the Bronx for Queens.
"Unfortunately, this doesn’t look to be a fit beyond 2025," Miller wrote. "The Yankees think No. 2 prospect Spencer Jones, a 6-foot-7, left-handed Aaron Judge clone, is major-league ready (or close to it) after spending a half-season in Triple-A.
"With Jasson Dominguez, Jones and Judge their projected outfield for 2026, the Yankees won’t be paying ($30 million-plus) for at least five or six years of Bellinger."
In 152 games this season, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. He showed off his defensive prowess in both center field and Yankee Stadium's very difficult left field, and he also can still fill in at first base whenever necessary (which could become relevant to the Mets if they lose five-time All-Star Pete Alonso).
Bellinger has had an up-and-down career, so there could be a benefit to staying somewhere he knows is a good fit. But if the Yankees aren't ponying up the money, as Miller suggests they might not, he may be compelled to walk.
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