Yankees' Cody Bellinger predicted to sign with NL East contender originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Depending on what some markets look like around Major League Baseball, there's a very good chance the New York Yankees could lose someone like Cody Bellinger.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBellinger has an argument to be the second-best player on the free agency board this winter, as outside of Kyle Tucker, he might be the best. Tucker seems to be a little better than Bellinger, at least at this stage of their careers.
For the Yankees, that could come down to him getting a lot more money than some are expecting. It remains uncertain what he could be looking for or where he’ll end up, but there's an obvious fit back in the Bronx. Despite that reality, Will Laws of Sports Illustrated believes he’ll take a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
“After being traded to New York in what was essentially a salary dump for the Cubs, Bellinger swatted 29 home runs—his most since hitting 47 in his MVP campaign in 2019—to go along with a career-best 13.7% strikeout rate. Add in plus outfield defense in the corners and capable coverage in center field, and the decision to opt out of his contract was an easy one. Bellinger is clearly one of the premier bats available this winter—not too bad for a guy who was non-tendered by the Dodgers just three years ago,” he wrote.
The Phillies have been searching for an outfielder for the better part of the past few years, and with Bellinger’s ability to play most outfield spots, as well as first base, he'd give a contending team like Philadelphia a lot of flexibility.
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