The Yankees Are Running Low on Options to Replace Bellinger

The Yankees Are Running Low on Options to Replace Bellinger

By Derek McAdam

January 20, 2026

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We are just a few days away from February, which many baseball fans know as the official start of a new MLB season with Spring Training. Teams will practice for a few days, get games underway towards the end of the month, and before we know it, regular season baseball will be back towards the end of March.

But as for the off-season, it has been one of the quietest in recent memory for New York Yankee fans. The two big acquisitions were Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer worth more than $22 million for the 2026 season, while the Yankees also acquired Ryan Weathers from the Miami Marlins in exchange for four prospects. There have also been a couple of small signings, including the Yankees bringing back Tim Hill, Amed Rosario, and Ryan Yarbrough on one-year deals.

However, it is not to say that the Yankees have not been linked to multiple free agents throughout the off-season. The biggest task has been to bring Cody Bellinger back in pinstripes, with the Yankees reportedly offering him five years, $160 million with multiple chances of opting out of the deal. Unfortunately for the Yankees, it seems as if Scott Boras believes his client’s value is much higher and is still seeking additional years and funds for the 30-year old.

It was also recently reported that the Yankees are not going to enter into a bidding war to secure Bellinger’s services. It is clear that they believe his value is around the $30-32 million AAV mark and they are not willing to bring Bellinger’s salary close to Aaron Judge’s, who has arguably been the best player in baseball over the past couple of seasons.

And while I have no issue with the Yankees not going into desperation mode to sign Bellinger, their back-up options have dwindled tremendously over the past week. Kyle Tucker, who was likely a long-shot to sign with the Yankees, agreed to join the Los Angeles Dodgers on a four year, $240 million contract. Meanwhile, Bo Bichette, who was rumored to be the Yankees’ backup plan if Bellinger went elsewhere, agreed to a three year, $126 million contract with the New York Mets and will likely be their third baseman this upcoming season.

With Bellinger being one of the few “top” free agents still available, the Yankees certainly do not have many options in the open market if they are looking to replace him. Harrison Bader and Austin Hays, two outfielders who have popped up in rumors relating to the Yankees, are still free agents, but they are unlikely to provide both the offensive and defensive value that Bellinger brings to the team.

Brian Cashman may also have other plans and decide to not bring anyone in. Maybe his goal for the 2026 season is to have Ben Rice play first base full-time, while having an outfield of Jasson Dominguez, Trent Grisham and Judge from left to right. And if you’ve read any of my material from the past few weeks, you would understand that I would have no issue with Dominguez playing every day.

Even if the Yankees decide that Spencer Jones is ready to make the leap into the Majors to start the season, which I see as a long-shot to happen, and hope that is the case, he can also be another option to fill in for Dominguez at times or even Grisham in centerfield, since Grisham’s defense took a big step back last season.

What Cashman cannot do is extend the Bellinger drama into February. The Yankees must go into Spring Training with a relatively good idea as to what their outfield will look like on Opening Day. It would be fantastic if the Yankees can find a way to bring Bellinger back, but they cannot overpay him or wait too long for him to make a decision. If Bellinger wants Boras to screw up a long-term deal for a second time in just three off-seasons, that is his prerogative. But the Yankees cannot, and should not, hold everyone on the team hostage waiting to see what Bellinger decides to do.

Not only that, but if the Yankees decide to wait on Bellinger, the other options, such as Bader and Hays, may sign with other teams in the meantime and really mess up the Yankees’ plans. Of course, the only way the Yankees’ plans cannot be messed up is if they truly had no intentions of signing any of those outfielders.  But I do not believe that is the case. Because if they were not adamant on bringing in an outfielder of some kind, they would not even be considering bringing Bellinger back.

Whatever decision Cashman makes needs to happen fast. Spring Training is right around the corner and many of the smaller-named free agents are likely going to choose their new teams sooner rather than later. It is time that Cashman determine the route the Yankees are going to take and stick with it. If that means telling Bellinger and Boras to take the contract or leave it, so be it. But a decision has to be made quickly.