The New York Yankees have made another offer to outfielder Cody Bellinger, and as it stands it is reportedly not good enough.
ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney reported Tuesday there is “a sizable gap” between the Yankees and Bellinger as negotiations have moved into the new year.
Bellinger is coming off one of his best seasons in his nine-year big-league career, slashing .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs and finishing 14th in AL MVP voting. Bellinger is the perfect left-handed complement to two-time-reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge.
Yet, no fewer than seven rival clubs are also after Bellinger’s services, according to his agent Scott Boras. The Yankees are believed to have offered a six-year contract for the 30-year-old outfielder, and according to the New York Post made a second offer to Bellinger earlier this week.
Buster Olney: Yankees, Bellinger Face ‘A Sizable Gap’ In Contract Negotiations
The Yankees have called re-signing Bellinger their top priority this offseason. They have largely seemed content to run back their roster, which manager Aaron Boone called “the most talented” he’s had in eight years in the Bronx.
So retaining Bellinger is a huge part of that plan. He was an outfielder every day for the Yankees in 2025, playing left field, center field and even spelling Judge in right field when the MVP had DH days — no small role, since Judge missed 10 games with an elbow injury.
Yet, the Yankees have reportedly made their offer to Bellinger and haven’t budged. According to Olney, that deal isn’t good enough.
“He is coming off an excellent season and the New York Yankees want to retain him, but there is apparently a sizable gap between what his side wants and what the team is willing to pay,” Olney reported Tuesday. “Bellinger made $27.5 million last season and it’s hard to imagine his representative, Scott Boras, settling for a deal that averages less than that.”
To that point, most Bellinger contract projections have been in the six-year, $180 million range, which is a slight pay bump from his salary last season.
The Yankees Still Expect To Re-Sign Cody Bellinger
Bellinger is a natural fit with the right-field short porch at Yankee Stadium. He grew up around the Yankees, since his dad won two World Series titles during the club’s late-90s heyday in the Bronx.
So even though other rival clubs are interested in Bellinger, including the New York Mets who have lured multiple players across town over the past two offseasons, the Yankees still seem like the favorites to land Bellinger based on the trends this offseason.
Still, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, GM Brian Cashman may need to make more of an effort in the days ahead.
“Expect to see the Yankees’ version of a full-court press for him though they’ve balanced their lineup from the left side of the plate better in recent years,” Rogers wrote. “Where they were more desperate in the past for that balance, they may not be in need of it as much.
“Having said that, as a rival put it: ‘Bellinger would still be their best left-handed hitter if he returns.’”
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