Cody

Bellinger

Boone also added that he envisions Cody Bellinger in center field with top prospect Jasson Domínguez in left field. Chisholm played third base last season for New York after coming over from the Marlins at the trade deadline, but he obviously has plenty of experience at the keystone from earlier in his career with Miami. He’s the logical solution for the Yankees following the departure of Gleyber Torres to Detroit and the club’s decision to ship Caleb Durbin to Milwaukee in the Devin Williams trade. The electrifying 26-year-old is one of the more dynamic power-speed combo contributors in the fantasy landscape and slots in as a top five option at second base.

That seemed pretty obvious, but a little clarity never hurts anyone. Bellinger was traded to the Yankees from the Cubs for Cody Poteet back in December, and the 29-year-old will handle the middle of the outfield with Jasson Dominguez ticketed for left field. Bellinger is also more than capable at first base, but there’s considerably more value with him patrolling things in the grass than in the dirt.

The trade is official. Bellinger, who will take over as New York’s everyday center fielder next season, stands to benefit significantly from a fantasy standpoint with the move to Yankee Stadium’s high-octane offensive environment, which ranked third out of 30 ballparks over the past three seasons for left-handed home run power in Baseball Savant’s park factors. He spent the previous two years in Wrigley Field’s power-suppressing environment for left-handed pop, which ranked seventh worst for southpaws during that span. We’re willing to chalk up some of Bellinger’s struggles last season to a pair of early-season injuries (ribs and finger) that adversely impacted his offensive production as he finished with a pedestrian .266/.325/.426 triple-slash line with 18 big flies and nine steals in 569 plate appearances following a stellar 26-homer, 20-steal bounce-back campaign the prior year in his Chicago debut. He’ll continue to make a ton of weak contact, which isn’t ideal. However, it doesn’t seem outlandish to forecast a return to 20-homer territory with double-digit steals next season in New York, which would make him a borderline top 10 option at first base for fantasy purposes.

ESPN’s Jesse Rogers adds that New York is absorbing all but $5 million of the $52.5 million left on the final two years of Bellinger’s existing deal, which also includes an opt-out following the 2025 season. The versatile 29-year-old slugger gives the Yankees a quality defensive option in center field in addition to a fallback plan at the cold corner. His left-handed pop should fit perfectly in the hitter’s paradise that is Yankee Stadium. The move makes him a logical bounce-back candidate for fantasy purposes after batting just .266/.325/.426 with 18 round-trippers and nine steals in 569 plate appearances last year following a sublime 26-homer, 20-steal Cubs debut. We’re not expecting him to reach the 30-homer threshold, but a return to 20-plus round-trippers with double-digit steals seems within reach.

Nightengale notes the engagement with the first base market is in part due to the Yankees being in a stalemate with the Cubs in their bid to acquire Cody Bellinger. The first baseman that Nightengale mentions as targets for New York are Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana and Christian Walker. It seems likely that the Yankees are going to be hard on the market for a first baseman even with a trade for Bellinger, with Walker being the name mentioned the most often. Alonso would be the most interesting, however, if only because he’s spent his entire career across town with the Mets.

Heyman says the deal still could happen, but he also thinks the Yankees are threatening to move on. Bellinger is guaranteed $52.5 million over the next two years, though he could walk away from the second season of the deal.

Gómez says the Yankees want the Cubs about $10 million. Bellinger is guaranteed $52.5 million the next two seasons, though he does have an opt out after 2025.

According to Heyman, the Yankees are interested in adding Bellinger as their starting first baseman with the knowledge that his center field defense would also give them an insurance policy in case rookie Jasson Dominguez isn’t ready. However, the Cubs are “asking the Yankees to take on nearly the full $52.5M Bellinger’s due over the next couple years, and the Yankees are expecting more cash coming back.” The Yankees can certainly take on that level of contract, but with Christian Walker and Pete Alonso also still free agents, it’s possible that New York doesn’t feel the need to give up assets and take on all of Bellinger’s salary until they’re sure he’s the best and most realistic option for them.

Sharma notes that the Cubs appear intent on trading one of Cody Bellinger or Seiya Suzuki, most likely to add starting pitching, and with there being legitimate interest in Cody Bellinger across the league, the Cubs seem likely to hold onto Suzuki. The 30-year-old has battled injuries since joining the Cubs, but he has been a strong producer and has a cheaper contract than Bellinger, which makes him the preferred option to remain in Chicago.

It’s been widely reported that the Cubs would prefer to trade Bellinger after he opted in to his contract for the 205 season, but Suzuki is a new one. The 30-year-old has dealt with injury issues, but he’s been a solid contributor on the field with a 278/.354/.470 in 2024. There would assuredly be a better return for Suzuki than Bellinger because of his production and cheaper contract, as well.