By Patrick McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWill the New York Yankees add another outfielder throughout the offseason?
If you look at the roster, some might argue that New York doesn't need to. The Yankees have Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and former top prospect Jasson Domínguez ready to roll, plus Giancarlo Stanton. Also, Yankees No. 4 prospect Spencer Jones is someone to watch for the organization after a monster 35-homer season down in the minors in 2025.
This group is missing a significant piece from the 2025 season, though. Cody Bellinger was elite in his lone season in New York. He slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 homers, 98 RBIs, and 25 doubles in 152 games played. Bellinger was great, and his ability to play all three outfield spots, as well as first base, gave New York flexibility.
Retaining Bellinger has been called a "priority" for the Yankees this offseason. ESPN insider Buster Olney threw some cold water on the idea while reporting that anonymous agents and evaluators "aren't sure" if New York is willing to pay the asking price to sign the slugger.
..."One rival evaluator said it's possible that the Yankees could go with what they currently have, now that they've retained Trent Grisham to play center alongside Judge in right field," Olney wrote on Wednesday. "That would mean a full commitment to 22-year-old Jasson Dominguez, who has yet to declare himself an everyday big league player; he had a 101 OPS+ last season and accumulated 0.5 WAR in 381 at-bats. The Yankees could bank on prospect Spencer Jones ascending into their outfield mix in 2026, after he hit 35 homers in Double-A and Triple-A this year (with 179 strikeouts in 506 plate appearances).
"But moving in the direction of very young players will be hard to do, given how important veteran Cody Bellinger was to the team in 2025. He was a perfect fit in so many ways -- the defense, the positional pliability, the speed, the comfort in the New York market. But some agents and rival evaluators aren't sure if the Yankees will be willing to pay the price to either retain Bellinger or pursue fellow free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker. If not, they'll still need to add someone with major league experience -- ideally a right-handed hitter who can play center field."
Jon Heyman of the New York Post also reported that there is a "gap" in negotiations between the Yankees and Bellinger while hosting a livestream for Bleacher Report.
This will be something to monitor moving forward. After the season Bellinger had, the Yankees arguably should do everything possible to bring him back. He was a perfect fit, especially after losing Juan Soto. This is the Yankees we're talking about, not a small-market team. The price tag shouldn't be the issue.
More MLB: Yankees, Marlins Trade Idea Would Cut Ties With Jasson Domínguez
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