NEW YORK — Something strange is happening in the Cody Bellinger market. Two rival teams are suddenly chasing the same backup option. And it might be a coordinated effort to bring down the price tag.
The Yankees want Bellinger back. Brian Cashman has said so repeatedly. But nobody is meeting agent Scott Boras’ demands. And the silence is getting louder by the day.
Now both the Yankees and Mets are flirting with the same cheaper alternative. The timing is not a coincidence. This is a negotiating tactic. And it just might work.
The Bellinger stalemate reaches a breaking point
YES Network insider Jack Curry delivered the damning report. No team has come close to meeting Boras’ asking price for Bellinger. Not the Yankees. Not the Mets. Not the Giants or Dodgers.
The market is stuck. Bellinger wanted a mega-deal after opting out of the final year of his contract. He hit .272 with 29 home runs and posted a .814 OPS with the Yankees in 2025. He figured that was enough.
It was not.
Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports Media noted that Cashman appears to hold the winning hand against Boras in this high-stakes poker game. The general manager knows the market is sinking. He is content to wait.
The numbers that concern the Yankees
Bellinger’s surface stats look solid. But the underlying metrics tell a different story. His average exit velocity ranked in the 24th percentile. His hard-hit rate sat in the 26th percentile.
Those numbers suggest his production came from finesse rather than raw power. The Yankees are wary of paying premium prices for a hitter who might be benefiting from good fortune more than sustainable skill.
The defense is elite. Bellinger ranked in the 93rd percentile for range and the 91st percentile for arm value in 2025. He avoids strikeouts at an elite clip, sitting in the 91st percentile for contact rate.
But defense alone does not justify the contract years Boras is hunting for. Bellinger is entering his age-30 season. The window for a long-term deal is closing.
Austin Hays becomes a bargaining chip
Here is where the plot thickens. Both the Yankees and Mets have been linked to outfielder Austin Hays. The timing is suspicious.
MLB Trade Rumors reported that the Yankees are interested in Hays. Rising Apple connected the Mets to the same player. Two New York teams. Same backup option. Same message to Bellinger.
Hays is a very different player. He could cost about five times less than Bellinger. He would not require the long-term commitment. For teams needing roster flexibility, Hays makes sense.
But this is also a scare tactic. If Bellinger and Boras see both New York teams pivoting to a cheaper alternative, the asking price might finally come down.
The Dodgers factor is only to push value
Bellinger’s former team keeps surfacing in rumors. Jon Heyman reported on Bleacher Report that the Dodgers are among the teams interested in a reunion.
But Dodgers Way suggests this might be classic Boras maneuvering. The super-agent has a history of floating big-market interest to drive up prices. Los Angeles might be a ploy to scare the Yankees.
The Mets present another wrinkle. After trading away Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil this offseason, speculation has grown that they could ramp up efforts to sign Bellinger.
If Boras’ main goal is to get the best offer from the Yankees, having the Mets involved might be the best leverage. But even that has not produced a deal.
The Kyle Tucker domino must fall first
There is a logjam at the top of the market. Kyle Tucker remains unsigned. Until he finds a home, Bellinger is stuck in limbo.
Tucker was supposed to be the $400 million man. But after a down year with the Cubs, no one is rushing to hand him a generational contract. Bellinger sits behind him in line.
The Yankees appear willing to wait. Cashman has focused on smaller deals while the top of the market sorts itself out. He retained Trent Grisham. He re-signed Amed Rosario. He added depth pieces.
The big splash has not come. But Bellinger remains the top priority. Cashman is betting patience brings the price to a reasonable level.
Who blinks first in this standoff
Empire Sports Media framed the situation bluntly. Bellinger needs the Yankees more than the Yankees need Bellinger at his current asking price.
He is trying to leverage a resurgent year into long-term security. But the data shows a player who is good, not great. The 29 home runs look nice. The underlying metrics do not scream franchise cornerstone.
If Boras wants to get a deal done, he will have to come down to Cashman’s reality. The Yankees are comfortable letting the phone ring. Every day of silence brings the price closer to a bargain.
The Austin Hays interest sends a clear signal. The Yankees have options. Bellinger is the preferred choice. But he is not the only choice.
And in a market where no team has come close to Boras’ demands, that leverage might be exactly what finally breaks the stalemate.
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