The Yankees are in critical hours in their attempts to sign an elite player for the 2026 season. So far, they have not done so. They wait until the last minute with the risk that what is just beginning to be seen will happen, the possibility that they will lose all their candidates, as is the case with Cody Bellinger.
Stubbornness is what defines the Bronx Bombers in their attempt to convince the player to return to the team. As a free agent, Bellinger is looking for better offers than those proposed in New York, although he has not had much luck with other franchises either. Neither side is giving in and Cody’s likely return is beginning to look distant.
To this inconvenience are added the adversities that arise in relation to signing other players. For example, Ketel Marte. The Diamondbacks pitcher was on the prospect list and they will no longer be able to negotiate with him because Arizona removed him as a marketable asset.
Obviously, we’ve seen Ketel Marte’s name floating around, but Arizona has taken him off the market. Still, that would be an apocalyptic scenario for the Yankees, because there’s no way to put a positive spin on that; you’re supposed to be the Yankees… where you’re expected to be able to outspend anyone
For MLB insider Robert Murray, the New York organization is making a serious mistake by not opening the checkbook and waiting for the financial demands of its candidates to come down. It could have spent without any problems for Bellinger and did not. It also did not consider doing so with Marte and will not do so with Kyle Tucker, who has already reduced his rate from $400 million to $240 million.
That would be a PR nightmare if you’re the ownership group, if you’re Brian Cashman or anyone involved in that decision, and that’s why I think it ultimately ends up happening. I just think the fit for both parties is so clear and so obvious that it almost makes too much sense for it not to happen
Murray foresees a catastrophic outlook for the Yankees in terms of big signings. With Bellinger and Tucker, they do not seem to be willing to pay what they are asking for, so their last card would be Bo Bichette, another player for whom they are reluctant to touch their payroll.
What’s going on with Cody Bellinger?
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the problem is not money, but the length of the contract. The reason Bellinger has turned down offers in New York has to do with time; the player is asking for a long-term deal. He dismisses short-term options.
The Yankees have offered a five-year contract worth between $155 million and $160 million, with no deferred payments. Bellinger is looking for at least a seven-year deal
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