MLB Rumors: Rangers surprise, don’t sleep on Orioles, Bellinger-Yanks update

MLB Rumors: Latest on Yankees-Cubs trade for Cody Bellinger

With the Chicago Cubs faltering heading into the All-Star Break, it seems more likely they will sell off some assets come the trade deadline. Enter Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman, both of whom are performing well and are likely to test free agency after the season.

Bellinger, in particular, has drawn interest from the New York Yankees. Chicago just won their first series even at Yankee Stadium, but instead the focus was on Bellinger, who could find himself in pinstripes sooner rather than later.

“The Yankees obviously mean a lot to our family,” Bellinger told NJ Advance Media on Friday. “He won a few championships here, a role player and pretty good player. It was obviously all in the old stadium, but still feels the same.”

Bellinger is alluding to his father, Clay, who won two World Series with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000.

Still, there’s some concern amid the fanbase of giving up assets for a player who is just a year removed from reinventing himself entirely. These fans don’t want another Joey Gallo on their hands, but FanSided’s Marci Rubin insists they don’t have to worry:

"“The last time the Yankees traded for a left fielder back in 2021 didn’t go so well. The boos from the crowd in the Bronx probably still ring in Joey Gallo’s ears. The bright lights of New York proved to be too much for Gallo, who hit .160 with the Yankees in 2021 and .159 in 2022 before being shipped out. There’s a key difference between Bellinger and Gallo that spells a recipe for success if Bellinger finds himself in the Bronx. Bellinger is no stranger to a big market team. The former Dodger spent six seasons in Los Angeles. During his time with the Dodgers, he became a World Series champion, a two-time All-Star, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, and the 2019 NL MVP.”"

This, plus the backing of former Dodger and current Yankee Willie Calhoun, should be enough to quell some of those concerns.