By Jackson RobertsShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe outfield has become the earliest intriguing storyline of the New York Yankees' offseason.
New York is one of the few teams to have already signed a major league free agent, and that was due to Trent Grisham accepting his one-year, $22 million qualifying offer. A strong case can be made, though, that the Yankees would be better off had Grisham declined that offer, thereby entitling them to draft compensation for losing him in free agency.
Now that Grisham is back in tow, the Yankees' ability to re-sign Cody Bellinger is somewhat in question. Will New York feel comfortable spending $50 million next season on the same two outfielders it paid $27 million for combined this year?
...And given owner Hal Steinbrenner's stated preference for a lower payroll than the $319 million the Yankees shelled out this season, is paying Bellinger still the best way to allocate whatever resources the front office has clearance to use?
On Tuesday, Andy McCullough of The Athletic forecasted that these worries wouldn't stop the Yankees from getting their man. McCullough paired the Yankees with Bellinger in an exercise predicting one free-agent signing for each team.
"Bellinger proved to be an excellent fit during his first season in The Bronx, and the Yankees appear interested in making a long-term commitment," wrote McCullough. "At 30, Bellinger has already been through so much in his career: from MVP to DFA to less flashy but still productive years with the Cubs and Yankees. His versatility in the field and adaptability at the plate make him a solid bet to stay productive during a lengthy deal."
Bellinger's return would certainly make the Yankees better on paper than they project to be without him, but it would still create all sorts of questions.
Would former all-world prospect Jasson Domínguez be available in trades, considering he just rode the bench behind Grisham and Bellinger for most of the stretch run? How about current top prospect Spencer Jones, who just had his best minor-league season and finally earned a promotion to Triple-A?
The Athletic's Tim Britton recently projected Bellinger for a seven-year, $182 million deal, but there's probably a creative way the Yankees could structure that deal to keep the luxury tax payroll down for one year while Grisham is still under contract.
More MLB: Mariners Predicted To Lose $69M Two-Time All-Star to Nationals
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