...
By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The New York Yankees have turned the pursuit of their top free-agent target into a staredown, and so far, the tactic seems to be working.
After his excellent first season as a Yankee, outfielder Cody Bellinger exercised his opt-out, as expected, to hit the open market before his age-30 season. But his inconsistent track record still seems to be having a slight impact on his ability to get the long-term deal he and agent Scott Boras think he deserves.
On Tuesday night, the New York Mets swung a trade for longtime Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr., seemingly taking the Yankees' most public competition for Bellinger off the table.
Read More on MLB
...
Meanwhile, the other big-market threats, the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies, both appear to be on the outs in the Bellinger sweepstakes. On Tuesday, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reported that Toronto was "unlikely" to match the Yankees' offer, and later in the day, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski strongly hinted that the pursuit of another multi-year deal for a free agent was also unlikely.
As Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media summed things up on Wednesday, it sure appears that the Yankees are the last true threat standing to sign Bellinger this winter.
"The Yankees have stood their ground, then waited. They want Bellinger back, but are comfortable their backup plan, which is moving on with second-year talent Jasson Dominguez in left field," Miller wrote. "The Yankees’ tactic looks like it’s going to work out. Bellinger appears to have one good offer, five years for $160 million from the Yankees.
"With the Mets probably out, the Phillies also likely out and the Blue Jays seemingly out, Bellinger returning to the Yankees appears to be a sure thing."
Bellinger can continue dragging things out if he wishes, and at this point, his best hope may be for a classic mystery team to appear out of the woodwork.
However, the Yankees are seemingly Options A, B, and C for Bellinger at the moment, and it appears that's due to them properly reading his market and refusing to bid against themselves.
More MLB: Tigers Sign 5-Year Veteran with Dodgers, Yankees Experience
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines