Cody Bellinger put in ‘stalemate’ as Yankees shift focus to Plan B trade

Yankees consider Josh Naylor and others as possible Plan B if the Cody Bellinger trade goes south with the Cubs.

Cody Bellinger put in ‘stalemate’ as Yankees shift focus to Plan B trade

Cody Bellinger (Image via ESPN)

The New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are once again in a stalemate regarding trade talks on Cody Bellinger. The outfielder has been considered a favorite for the Yankees after they lost Juan Soto to the New York Mets.

However, it seems like Bellinger’s $52 million is standing in the way. The Yankees want the Cubs to at least take a chunk of 2-year $52.5 million remaining from his contract, including a $25 million opt-out for 2026.

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Their disagreement on the amount is leading to a pause in the paperwork. According to MLB industry news, both teams are $10 million apart on an agreement. While it is being worked on, the pinstripes have already planned Plan B just in case.

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They are reportedly “considering” Josh Naylor to fill their first base position. While they’ll still need an outfielder to fill in Soto’s gap, they can look to add Alex Bregman or Pete Alonso. The latter seemed interested in joining the Bronx and they may have discussed their ways around it.

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Other than them, Yankees executive Brian Cashman is keeping an eye on Christian Walker, Carlos Santana, Nathaniel Lowe, and others. MLB insider Jon Heyman described Yankees-Cubs Cody Bellinger‘s situation as a matter of “who blinks first.”

Yankees miss on Kyle Tucker and new additions to the team

Over the course of the past week, a storm swiped down the MLB world, specifically in NY. The New York Yankees and New York Mets race to get Juan Soto ended on Sunday with the outfielder penning a 15-year $765 million deal with the Mets. 

Kyle Tucker
Kyle Tucker [Image Credit: Fox News]

The Yankees front office didn’t waste time in grieving their loss as they dived right in the free agency to secure position players for the 2025 run. So far, the team has made two impactful deals by adding ace pitchers Max Fried and Devin Williams to the lineup.

However, in the process of waiting for Soto’s reply, the team lost pitcher Blake Snell to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He reportedly went on a call right before his signing was announced with the World Champions to hear of the Yankees’ offer.

The team couldn’t confirm anything as it would have been difficult to pen both Soto and Snell in the Bronx. After missing out on Snell, they also lost Kyle Tucker who later joined the Chicago Cubs.

Tucker’s former team, the Houston Astros were eyeing Yankees Luis Gil in possible trade talks. However, the Yanks refused to add Gil to the contract which later ended up in Cubs’ favor. 

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Currently, Cashman has noted that the team is far from being done in shopping. The fans can get excited to see all the possible players they will add and trade for before the 2025 season starts.