Bob Nightengale added onto the reports from this past week that the Cubs are looking to move Cody Bellinger, and the Yankees should stay clear of such a trade. While the left-handed hitting outfielder does make sense from a fit standpoint, it’s clear that Chicago is looking to clear payroll and would want to ship off as much of his $26.7 million contract as possible. A solid player who provides versatility, the Yankees would certainly be better off with Cody Bellinger than with their internal options at first base, but that doesn’t mean he’s worth the price of admission.
The two sides have very little to entice each other with, and this is a trade scenario that the Yankees should steer clear of this winter.
Why Cody Bellinger Makes Little Sense For the Yankees
This past season wasn’t a great one for Cody Bellinger, who posted a 109 wRC+ and 2.2 fWAR across 130 games, but it wasn’t a bad one either. It would be impossible to label him a bad player, but the price tag he comes with is such a problem that the Cubs are aggressively looking for potential suitors. Sure, the Yankees would be better off acquiring Cody Bellinger if they could unload one of their undesirable contracts in return, but who exactly are the Cubs going to sign off on receiving in a deal?
Marcus Stroman is a popular name in these conversations because both he and Bellinger have one-year deals that could become two-year deals based on the player’s performance. Set to make roughly $18 million this season, the Yankees would only add $8.7 million to their payroll while acquiring a player who does fit the Bronx well as he would have hit seven more home runs according to Baseball Savant had he played all his games at Yankee Stadium.
That being said, why would the Cubs acquire an expensive fifth starter in a deal for Cody Bellinger?
READ MORE: Could Yankees cut bait with $15 million aging utility man?
When the right-hander opted out of his contract the Cubs seemed relieved, immediately pivoting and moving on from the veteran as he went on to sign with the Yankees. Ben Brown, a promising right-handed pitcher with tons of potential, is projected to be the Cubs’ fifth starter this season, and he presents far more upside than Marcus Stroman at a fraction of the cost.
Brown had 64 strikeouts across 55.1 innings with a 3.58 ERA as a starter and reliever before being shut down with an injury as he flashed a dominant fastball and excellent curveball to boot. His 110 Stuff+ is encouraging and as a starter specifically, he posted a 3.23 ERA with a .180 AVG allowed. There’s no way the Cubs decide to pitch Stroman over him from both a financial and competitive standpoint, so that shuts down any avenue for that kind of contract swap.
There’s also no chance the Cubs decide to acquire DJ LeMahieu, who was one of the worst players in baseball last season and comes with serious injury issues. His two years and $30 million remaining are the Yankees’ problem, no one is swooping in to save them from that nightmare of a contract. This leaves Brian Cashman with the option to try and move prospects or arbitration-eligible players to entice the Cubs to then eat a portion of this deal.
At that point the Yankees are better off just signing their first baseman of choice; even if the Cubs eat about $10 million, you’re still on the hook for $16.7 million this season and could be better off bidding for Christian Walker.
Trading either one of their starters like Nestor Cortes or a prospect would just be silly for a player who is owed $26.7 million in 2026 if he decides to opt-in on the third year of his deal, which would only happen if he played poorly. It’s a hefty price to pay for a player whose likely never going to contend for an MVP or maybe never even make another All-Star team again, and his injury track record isn’t particularly great either.
Cody Bellinger has hit the IL in each of the past two seasons, missing 64 total games in 2023 and 2024 while being another year older in 2025. The Yankees are likely not getting a full season of Bellinger, and there’s no telling how the injuries he has suffered will affect his play moving forward. There’s a reason the Cubs are trying to move off of him, and instead of running toward the burning fire that is Cody Bellinger’s contract, they should explore other options on the market.