Cody Bellinger officially opted out of his $25 million player option on Monday, but said he would “absolutely” be open to returning to The Bronx on a long-term deal, according to MLB.com.
After Juan Soto left the Yankees in free agency last winter, the Yankees pivoted and added several players, including the left-handed hitting Bellinger and ace Max Fried.
In his age-30 season, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 while hitting 29 home runs with 98 RBI. He also stole 13 stolen bases and had a 125 wRC+ but hit just .214 with a home run and four RBI in seven postseason games.
Bellinger played all three outfield positions as well as first base and DH.
“It was a fun group to be a part of,” Bellinger said after the Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Division Series. “We came up short, and that part stinks for sure, because we had a really, really good group here.”
The Cubs are paying $2.5 million of his $5 million buyout, per MLB.com.
If the Yankees can bring Bellinger back, he would join an outfield that includes Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez and possibly Spencer Jones. Trent Grisham, who had a big year in The Bronx, is also a free agent.
“He was an impact player for us,” general manager Brian Cashman said in October of Bellinger, per MLB.com. “I’m glad we got him. He was one of the many reasons why we were in a position to believe that we were capable of great things this year, and so I thank him for everything he’s done. Certainly, we’d love to have him with our team moving forward.”
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