The New York Yankees responded to the loss of Juan Soto with a holistic roster overhaul last winter and they’ll have to decide if they want to take a similar approach this offseason.
The team will see several of its key players hit free agency and could opt to re-sign many of them, including Trent Grisham, Paul Goldschmidt and Luke Weaver. Or it could let those players walk and bring in some new faces in hopes of making a deeper postseason run.
Perhaps the biggest decision looming over the front office concerns Cody Bellinger, who joined the team last year via a trade from the Chicago Cubs and will now enter free agency. Bellinger offered some key production against left-handed pitchers for the Yankees and that will be enough to convince the team to re-sign him, per The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 26: Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees in action against the Washington Nationals during the game at Yankee Stadiu…Read More |
“Keeping him should be the Yankees’ first priority,” Kuty wrote Tuesday, predicting that Bellinger stays with the team.
Bellinger slashed an impressive .272/.334/.480 with the Yankees this past season while offering some important defensive versatility. But Kuty added that there is one possibility that could derail his prediction that the veteran returns.
“Of course, the calculus completely changes if the Yankees make a hard run at outfielder Kyle Tucker, whose lefty swing would fit perfectly at Yankee Stadium but whose market could go bonkers,” Kuty added.
With several high-dollar financial commitments on the books, the Yankees seem more likely to bolster their outfield with a cheaper option who offers additional defensive prowess. And that should mean Bellinger comes back in pinstripes while another big-market suitor pays top dollar for Tucker.