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By Patrick McAvoy
Contributing Sports Writer
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The New York Yankees had a near-perfect pivot after losing Juan Soto last offseason.
New York quickly acquired Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs and he had his best season since his 2019 National League Most Valuable Player campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's not to say that he wasn't good in the previous two seasons with the Cubs, but he was great for New York.
Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 homers, 98 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and 89 runs scored in 152 games played. Bellinger's 29 homers and 98 RBIs were his highest marks since 2019. That was also the case with his 5.1 wins above replacement.
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All in all, it was a great year for the 30-year-old. On Tuesday, it was announced that Trent Grisham was accepting the qualifying offer from the Yankees, which made some wonder if they could still afford to go after Bellinger. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported that the decision doesn't impact New York's pursuit of Bellinger. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand took it a step forward and called the Yankees the "clear favorite" to sign the two-time All-Star.
"The Yankees and Bellinger were a perfect match, and a reunion here makes sense for both parties," Feinsand wrote. "Yankee Stadium is built perfectly for his swing, evidenced by Bellinger’s .912 career OPS in the Bronx, and his positional versatility gives manager Aaron Boone lineup options. New York is the clear favorite to sign Bellinger."
The fit between the Yankees and Bellinger was too good to pass up. New York won 94 games -- tied with the Toronto Blue Jays, who went on to Game 7 of the World Series. With Bellinger on the roster and the eventual return of Gerrit Cole, there's an argument that New York would be just fine in 2026, even without another move on top.
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