The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs have struck a deal that will send first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger from the Cubs, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The Cubs will receive right-hander Cody Poteet. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal added that the Cubs will send the Yankees $5 million in the trade.
Multiple reports indicated the Yankees were interested in Bellinger after losing out on both Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker. The Cubs were rumored to be shopping the former MVP after acquiring Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros last weekend.
Bellinger, 29, hit .266 with 18 home runs and 78 RBI last season.
Yankees Land Cody Bellinger in Trade with Cubs
While Bellinger decided to against hitting free agency again, he exercised his $27.5 million player option. He has another player option for next season at $25 million. The trade ends a two-year tenure for Bellinger with the Cubs, and it’s not a big surprise he was on the move. Two years after starting with a clean slate in Chicago, Bellinger will once again try to re-establish his stardom.
The latest acquisition is the second trade in a short span for the Yankees, who traded for closer Devin Williams in exchange for Nestor Cortes and prospect Caleb Durbin on Friday. New York has been linked to first baseman Christian Walker, but that pursuit could cool off after landing Bellinger.
The Yankees did what they could for Tucker. The Astros’ asking price for Luis Gil played a factor in sending him to the Cubs. The versatility will help since the Yankees don’t have a set first baseman yet, and Bellinger could allow them to pursue both an outfielder and first baseman this winter.
Bellinger is a veteran of eight MLB seasons, six of which he spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bellinger won the National League’s Rookie of the Year Award in 2017, won MVP two years in 2019 and helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 2020.
More to come.
Main Photo: © Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
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