NEW YORK — The image lingers. Cody Bellinger walking back to the dugout after Jeff Hoffman’s slider buckled his knees. The final out of the 2025 ALDS. The Blue Jays celebrating on the Yankee Stadium grass. A season ending in disappointment once again.
That strikeout on Oct. 8 could have been Bellinger’s last moment in pinstripes. He opted out of his contract days later. Free agency beckoned. The Mets and Blue Jays circled. For two months, the stalemate with the Yankees dragged on.
Now Bellinger is back. Five years. $162.5 million. A chance to rewrite that final chapter. But the clock is ticking. At 30 years old, he knows time waits for no one in the Bronx.
A career of peaks and valleys
Few players have experienced the turbulence Bellinger has seen. The 2019 NL MVP slashed .305/.406/.629 that season with 47 home runs. Two years later, he bottomed out at .165 with a 47 wRC+ that ranked among the worst in MLB history for qualified hitters.
The Dodgers gave up on him after the 2022 season. The Cubs took a chance. He rebuilt his swing and his confidence. Chicago traded him to the Yankees last December after Juan Soto bolted for the Mets.
In 2025, Bellinger delivered. He batted .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs across 152 games. He posted a .909 OPS at Yankee Stadium with a 152 wRC+ in the Bronx. His left-handed bat balanced a right-heavy lineup. His defense at multiple positions gave Aaron Boone flexibility every night.
The Yankees needed him back
General manager Brian Cashman made Bellinger the top priority from day one. The negotiations with agent Scott Boras stretched for weeks. The Yankees refused to go beyond five years. Boras pushed for seven. The standoff paralyzed the rest of the offseason.
“We were negotiating with a titan in Scott Boras,” Cashman said. “It took me and Hal and Randy Levine to figure out a solution that would make sense for everybody involved and try to outpace the market.”
The deal includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons. There is a $20 million signing bonus. A full no-trade clause protects Bellinger from being shipped elsewhere. The structure gives both sides flexibility while keeping the core intact.
Bellinger explains why he returned
There were moments when Bellinger wondered if he would be back. Other teams called. The market was thin for outfielders. But the pull of the Bronx proved strong.
“I felt right at home last year,” Bellinger said Wednesday. “The guys do a great job of building a good culture in that locker room. It’s a very good culture. It’s a winning culture. We all show up to win the game that day. I was just excited to be a part of it.”
The 30-year-old understands his value goes beyond home runs and batting average. He can play all three outfield positions. He can handle first base. He brings postseason experience from multiple deep playoff runs with the Dodgers, including a World Series ring in 2020.
“For me, I understand the talent that I have on the field. I understand the many different things that I can do on a baseball field, and I enjoy doing that type of stuff,” Bellinger said. “I think I can win a baseball game in a lot of many different ways. That’s what I strive to do.”
A family connection to the franchise
Playing for the Yankees carries extra meaning for Bellinger. His father, Clay Bellinger, won two World Series championships with the franchise in 1999 and 2000. The younger Bellinger grew up hearing stories about those dynasty teams.
Now he has a chance to bring that championship tradition back to the Bronx. The Yankees have not won a World Series since 2009. The drought weighs on everyone in the organization. Bellinger wants to help end it.
Skipping the WBC to focus on Yankees
Unlike teammate Aaron Judge, who will captain Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Bellinger is staying in Tampa. He announced Wednesday that he will not participate in the tournament. His priority is spring training.
“Don’t think this year’s going to be the year,” Bellinger said. “Especially getting the free-agent deal and going into spring, you kind of just want to focus on what’s at hand here and the task at hand. I owe it to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankee organization to go and give my best foot forward and try and win a championship.”
The pressure to deliver
The contract comes with expectations. The opt-outs provide protection if Bellinger declines. But they also create pressure to perform. He must prove the Yankees made the right call while the Blue Jays, who eliminated them in October, added Dylan Cease and other pieces.
Bellinger embraces the challenge. He believes in the group returning from 2025. And he knows what is at stake.
“Obviously, it might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I really do love the group that we had,” Bellinger said. “We had a special unit. We had great chemistry. I don’t think that can be understood unless you’re inside the clubhouse. We all play for each other.”
Spring training opens in less than two weeks. Bellinger will be there from the start. The bridge to the Bronx faithful has been charred by October failures. Now comes the hard work of rebuilding it.
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