After missing out on Juan Soto, the New York Yankees turned their attention to a former MVP this offseason.
It seemed only a matter of time before Chicago Cubs star Cody Bellinger made his way to The Bronx, following in his father’s footsteps.
Coming off a down season in terms of his standards, Bellinger’s addition to Yankee Stadium should be fruitful in terms of a potential bounce-back season. That doesn’t mean he’ll put up MVP numbers again, but he should be in a better position to produce more consistently.
Easily the biggest acquisition the Yankees made on the offensive side of the ball, Bellinger was dubbed one of the biggest winners of the offseason from Jim Bowden of The Athletic.
Best landing spot for a position player traded: Cody Bellinger with the Yankees
The Yankees’ trade with the Cubs for Bellinger could not have been a better fit after Soto departed in free agency. Bellinger improves their defense in center field as he has more range than Aaron Judge, and the trade moves Judge back to right field, which improves their defense in that corner too since Judge is a better defender than Soto. In addition, the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium should help Bellinger boost his power numbers. All in all, it was a great landing spot for him.
It will be nearly impossible for the Yankees to replicate Soto’s production even in the aggregate. However, a potential bounce-back season from Bellinger could certainly soften the blow.
The 29-year-old lefty has a career .818 OPS, but his 2024 numbers were a bit below his typical standard. Bellinger slashed .266/.325/.426 with 23 home runs, 78 RBI and a 111 OPS+ (11 percent better than league average).
A two-time All-Star, Bellinger also has two Silver Slugger awards and one Gold Glove.
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