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By Aaron Coloma
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The New York Yankees re-signed All-Star outfielder Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract Wednesday, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Bellinger, 30, spent the 2025 season with the Yankees and was the best bat still available in free agency. Bellinger's contract with the Yankees includes opt-outs after the second and third season, as well as a no-trade clause.
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Why Did the Yankees Sign Cody Bellinger?
Bellinger played a huge role for the Yankees in the 2025 season, posting a third consecutive season batting above league average since leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The outfielder received MVP votes for the second time in the last three years last season, during which he slashed .272/.334/.480. He also hit 29 home runs, recorded 98 RBIs and posted a 5.1 bWAR, both of which were the most he had managed since his MVP season in 2019.
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Bellinger adds another layer to the Yankees lineup as a left-handed impact bat in a favorable environment.
What Does Bellinger Re-Signing Mean for the Yankees' Outfield?
The Yankees' outfield for the upcoming season is all but set in stone now, with Trent Grisham — who also re-signed with the Yankees this offseason — and Bellinger set to join AL MVP Aaron Judge. The trio accounted for more 116 home runs last season, and will make up one of MLB's most formidable outfields in 2026.
That, in turn, pushes Jasson Dominguez — who finished 13th in Rookie of the Year voting in 2025 — out of a starting spot in the Bronx. Dominguez, who just finished his age-22 season with 0.5 bWAR, played in 123 games for the Yankees last season, and posted a .719 OPS — just above league average for an OPS+ of 101.
He also sat among the worst in the league as far as defensive metrics go ranking in the bottom six percent of MLB in fielding run value with a minus-9 mark and in the bottom three percent in outs above average, where he also logged a minus-9 mark.
With Bellinger remaining in the picture and the designated hitter spot firmly in the control of both Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton, Dominguez could find himself as the odd man out for the upcoming season.
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