After the record-setting signing of free agent Kyle Tucker by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the New York Mets following a day later by scooping up former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, there was only one big-name hitter left on the market.
That was New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger. With the Dodgers and Mets likely maxed out on their free agent spending, there was only one landing spot left for the former National League Rookie of the Year and MVP â a reunion with the Yankees. Or so it seemed.
The Yankees reportedly put an offer on the table that would pay Bellinger $160 million over five years, giving the two-time All-Star two chances to opt out along the way. But Bellinger and his agent, Scott Boras, have yet to agree to what the Yankees are said to consider an eminently fair offer.
Bellinger and Boras, as reported by Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, are holding out for a seven-year deal with an average annual salary higher than the $32 million the Yankees are offering.
Now, according to a report Sunday by a veteran New York sportswriter, the Yankees have made a final decision and have a definitive message for Bellinger and Boras.
Yankees Offer is Final
Longtime Yankees insider Bob Klapisch, author of the 2019 bestselling book Inside the Empire: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees, reported on Sunday that the Yankees consider their offer to Bellinger to be final, and if he wants a better one, he will need to look elsewhere.
“Yankees have made an internal decision not to engage in a bidding war for Cody Bellinger if Mets or anyone else swoops in with a blow-away offer,” Klapisch reported on his social media account. “Yankees believe they’ve made a fair proposal â five years, $160 million, two opt-outs. They’re prepared to let Bellinger walk.”
In a report for NJ Advanced Media on Sunday, Klapisch said that his information came from “a person with knowledge of the situation” who had “requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.”
Yankees Message to Boras and Bellinger
Klapisch wrote that the Yankeesâ message to Bellinger and his high-powered agent was crystal clear.
“While the door remains open for further talks with agent Scott Boras, the message to Bellingerâs camp is unmistakable: Take it or leave it,” the veteran sportswriter stated.
A New York Post editor, Dan Bartels, reported on Sunday that the talks between the Yankees and the Bellinger-Boras camp are ongoing â but not going anywhere.
“The talks between Cody Bellinger and the Yankees have reached another stalemate. Both sides donât seem willing to budge,” Bartels wrote. “The Mets could swoop in the same way they did with Bo Bichette to get a deal done. If any of that is likely taking place, odds are itâs happening soon.”
How Bellinger Compares to Tucker
Tucker signed with the Dodgers for four years at an average annual value of $60 million. Bellinger is telling the Yankees that $32 million per year is not enough. So how does Bellinger stack up against Tucker in terms of offensive productivity?
Measured by bWAR â wins above replacement as calculated by Baseball Reference â Tucker has been considerably better. In 3,158 plate appearances through his career, Tucker has compiled a bWAR of 27.3, an average of 4.3 bWAR per every 500 trips to the plate.
Bellinger averages 3.2 bWAR per 500 plate appearances, with 30.5 in 4,765 trips.
Tucker also boasts a significantly higher career OPS â .865 to Bellinger’s .817.
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