MLB Rumors: Could Red Sox steal Cody Bellinger from Yankees at trade deadline?
For weeks now, the New York Yankees have been the most obvious and widely discussed fit for Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. But as the Yankees plans for the deadline have seemingly started to change with the possibility of the club selling as the sit in the cellar of the AL East, you have to wonder how realistic making an expensive play (Bellinger has a $12 million salary for 2023 and a mutual option for the same price plus bonuses in 2024) for Bellinger is for New York.
To make matters worse for the Yankees, though, what if one of the franchise’s bitter rivals swooped in and landed Bellinger at the deadline?
Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors broke down the possible landing spots for Bellinger, who he called the “top rental hitter” at this year’s deadline, and one of the second tier of his list of suitors was the Yankees most infmaous foe, the Boston Red Sox. Here’s what Franco had to say.
"Center field looked like a problem for Boston not too long ago. Adam Duvall has struggled since returning from a fractured wrist. Enrique Hernández is not having a good season. The Sox have gotten their awaited Jarren Duran breakout, though. The 26-year-old former top prospect is hitting a career-best .313/.364/.508 over 269 trips to the plate. He’s not a good defensive center fielder, but with Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida locked into the corner outfield, there’s nowhere else for Duran to play. Adding another lefty-hitting outfielder to the mix is probably too much of a luxury buy for a club that could use pitching and middle infield help."
With that dash of cold water at the end that Bellinger is probably a luxury, it’s also worth noting that Chaim Bloom’s trade deadline MO to this point has not been to spend big on a piece like Bellinger. Furthermore, the Yankees were the in the top tier of suitors for the Cubs outfielder.
So it’s unlikely that the Red Sox would ultimately steal Bellinger from the rival Yankees. While that may be true, that doesn’t mean he ends up in New York either based on the way things are trending in pinstripes right now coming off of being swept by the Angels.