Cody Bellinger returns to action with the New York Yankees.
The free-agent outfielder agreed to a five-year deal on Wednesday to return to the Bronx after opting out of the final year of his last contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported.
The deal means the Yankees will regain two key free agent outfielders. 2025 starting center fielder Trent Grisham accepted a $22.025 million qualifying offer earlier this offseason, meaning fans can once again expect to see Aaron Judge-Grisham-Bellinger’s outfielder at Yankee Stadium in 2026, while Jason Dominguez remains on the bench.
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Bellinger joined the Yankees via a trade last offseason, which was something of a gamble. He both won the MVP award and was cut by a contender who needed his spot. He led the NL in wins above replacement (Baseball Reference) in a season and ranked 814th out of 815 two years later.
The Dodgers passed on him in 2022 after another down year and embarked on a resurgence in 2023 with the Chicago Cubs, who gave him a three-year, $80 million contract the following season. However, after a slump in 2024, they decided to move on from him and made a trade in which the Yankees got him for almost free.
In 2025, Bellinger had another bounce-back year in a new environment. His bat has been outstanding at Yankee Stadium, where he has the most homers (29), total bases (282) and walks (57) since his 2019 MVP season. That performance, coupled with his ability to play all three outfielder positions, made it a no-brainer for him to opt out of his contract.
While there were plenty of teams in the market for Bellinger — including the Dodgers, who ended up signing Kyle Tucker — the Yankees ultimately pulled off the deal.
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Now, he’s back. A 30-year-old with an injury history and inconsistent form might have been a risky bet, but the Yankees saw the potential rewards firsthand and decided to give it another try.
