TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees finally got their man. Cody Bellinger agreed to a five-year, $162.5 million contract on Wednesday after weeks of tense negotiations with agent Scott Boras. But a new report reveals the deal almost fell apart because the two sides were wildly out of sync from the start.
General manager Brian Cashman spent the past two weeks working the phones from his fourth-floor office at Steinbrenner Field. He paced the hallways. He stepped outside for fresh air during calls with baseball’s most powerful agent. And he waited.
The patience paid off. Bellinger accepted the Yankees’ terms after Boras failed to find a better offer elsewhere. But the path to this moment was filled with miscommunication and missed opportunities.
A $100 million gap that took weeks to close
The numbers tell the story of how far apart both sides were. In early January, Cashman offered $162.5 million over five years. Boras countered by demanding seven years and $266 million. That’s a gap of two years and more than $100 million.
No other team was willing to match what the Yankees put on the table. Yet Boras insisted on holding out for a deal that simply did not exist in the marketplace.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported throughout the process that the massive delay was largely the Yankees’ doing. Their initial offer was far below what Bellinger’s camp expected. The team was content to wait out Boras rather than negotiate against themselves.
Cashman missed a chance that was right under his nose
While Cashman was pacing outside his office and making calls to Boras, fantasy camp participants were playing games on the fields below. Among the guest instructors was a certain reserve outfielder from the Yankees’ 1999-2001 World Series teams. His name: Clay Bellinger.
That’s right. Cody Bellinger’s father was at Steinbrenner Field the entire time the Yankees were negotiating with his son.
“If I had known that Clay was here,” Cashman said Wednesday night during a Zoom appearance at the Somerset Patriots’ annual winter sponsorship banquet. “I was walking out on the phone, making calls to a very important agent. If I knew the dad was sitting on the field right below me, I would have grabbed him and said, ‘Hey, would you sign this?'”
Waldman celebrates Cashman’s victory over Boras
Yankees radio broadcaster Suzyn Waldman did not hold back when introducing Cashman to the Somerset crowd. She asked for a standing ovation that lasted 20 seconds.
“I know the general manager is going to say, ‘Well, we can’t talk about it yet,’ but I’ll talk about it,” Waldman said. “As Max Fried once said to me about Cody Bellinger, ‘He is an All-Star at four positions.'”
Waldman went even further after Cashman’s Zoom call ended.
“Just the fact that he beat Scott Boras … Oh, my God! Isn’t that the greatest thing? He just stared him down and stared him down!” Waldman told the crowd.
Yankees contract details that sealed the deal
Bellinger ultimately took what the Yankees offered more than two and a half weeks ago. Cashman threw in sweeteners to close the gap. The deal includes two opt-outs after the second and third seasons. A full no-trade clause gives Bellinger roster control.
He receives a $20 million signing bonus payable on April 1. The salary breakdown shows $32.5 million in each of the first two years. That drops to $25.8 million in 2028 and 2029, followed by $25.9 million in the final year. No money is deferred.
“I didn’t sleep last night,” Cashman admitted. “There was a lot of effort on our part to try to improve the club.”
Boras failed to find the mystery teams he promised
Throughout December and January, Boras boasted that eight teams were interested in Bellinger. He demanded a seven-year deal at an estimated $37 million per season. One MLB executive dismissed the claim outright.
When Boras hints at eight interested buyers, the executive said, “It means he has none.” The executive was smiling but not entirely joking.
The market shifted against Bellinger in the final days. The Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker to a four-year, $240 million deal. The Mets traded for Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox on Tuesday night. The Blue Jays dropped out over the weekend.
By Wednesday, Bellinger had only one path remaining. That path led back to the Bronx.
What Bellinger brings back to the Bronx
The 30-year-old outfielder had a strong first season in pinstripes. He batted .272/.334/.480 with 25 doubles, 29 home runs and 98 RBI in 152 games. He also added 13 stolen bases while playing excellent defense at all three outfield spots and some first base.
The Yankees tied for the most wins in the American League last season with 94. Bringing Bellinger back keeps their core intact for another run at the franchise’s first World Series title since 2009.
“I’ve been very vocal all winter and at the end of last season that we’d love to have Cody back,” Cashman said.
A sign from fantasy camp that hinted at the outcome
Waldman spotted another clue that the deal would get done. Clay Bellinger’s presence at Yankees fantasy camp seemed to signal that his son was not leaving the organization.
“I just thought when Clay Bellinger showed up to fantasy camp, ‘Well, Cody’s returning,'” Waldman told the crowd. “Clay’s not going to go to Yankees fantasy camp if his son is going to Toronto, right?”
The signing is pending a physical. But for now, Cashman and the Yankees can exhale. They got their player at their price. Boras lost his staring contest with the Bronx front office.
The negotiation strategy may have been out of sync. The communication may have been clunky. But in the end, patience and discipline won the day for the Yankees.
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