Until Kyle Tucker decides it's time to sign, Cody Bellinger's market will move in a favorable direction. Bellinger is the next-best outfielder available, and while it might benefit him to wait until after Tucker signs to choose his next home, the Scott Boras client isn't as patient as his agent.
Bellinger could actually sign before Tucker. The latter wants a contract around $400 million. Bellinger will take around half of that. This reasoning alone should make it no surprise that the Belli rumblings are growing louder by the day, with the Dodgers, Mets and Yankees all involved.
Los Angeles Dodgers are in the mix, but not favored for Cody Bellinger
Few teams know Cody Bellinger better than the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bellinger won an NL MVP in the City of Angels, only to experience an unpredictable downfall shortly thereafter. A homecoming could very well be on the horizon, but it should come as no surprise the Dodgers are proceeding with caution. What's the rush, after all, for a player as unpredictable as Bellinger?
In 2019, Bellinger won a runaway NL MVP vote with a 1.035 OPS. Just two years later, he cut that mark in half with a .542 OPS. Shortly thereafter, LA cut bait. Bellinger's career turnaround is one of the more underrated stories in sports, but it also makes him a dangerous player to commit so much money to. Here's what Mark Feinsand had to say about the Dodgers interest in a reunion.
"It’s naïve to rule out the Dodgers when it comes to any big-ticket free agent, but their need for Tucker or Bellinger is not as dire as some of the other teams pursuing the outfielders. I would be surprised if either of them winds up in Los Angeles, but it’s certainly not an impossibility," Feinsand wrote.
The Dodgers lurk in the background for many MLB free agents. That's just their style. Should Bellinger's market drop, they might be willing to do what every other contender should, and that's add a high-quality player to their lineup.
Mets remain in play for Cody Bellinger
Adding Cody Bellinger to the long list of former Yankees who sign in Queens would be hilarious, but fitting for a Mets team in desperate need of an offseason win. Bellinger could serve as an answer for losing Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles, as the 29-year-old can play either corner outfield spot or first base.
The Mets have been connected to Bellinger ever since the season ended. The difficult part of adding Belli this early is that New York also has interest in Kyle Tucker. Signing Tucker could prove tough. The Mets already inked Juan Soto to a $765 million deal last winter. Could Steve Cohen strike again with the highest-priced contract of the 2025-26 offseason? I wouldn't put it past his checkbook.
MLB Network reported on Tuesday that the Mets are still in on Bellinger. Jim Bowden said the same. There isn't much noise coming out of the Boras camp these days, so that has to mean something.
The market for Cody Bellinger is robust with the most likely result that he signs with a big market, contending team as expected with the #Yankees #Mets and #Dodgers the most likely landing spots for him at this point in that order.
— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) December 17, 2025
The Mets have a lot of holes to fill this winter after losing out on Alonso and Edwin Diaz. Because of this, they'll likely linger in the background on Bellinger until forced to make an offer. However, Mets fans shouldn't take silence as lack of interest.
Why the Yankees are still likely to sign Cody Bellinger
The Yankees have to do something, don't they? New York has cried poor all winter long, with Hal Steinbrenner admitting how much he'd enjoy coming in under the luxury tax.
"Would it be ideal if I went down [with the payroll]? Of course," Steinbrenner said. "But does that mean that's going to happen? Of course not. We want to field a team we know could win a championship -- or we believe could win a championship."
Yay! That's exactly what Yankees fans wanted to hear before the Winter Meetings. Now, New York will inevitably make a move or two to excite their fanbase. It's only a matter of time, as even in down years the Yankees rank near the top-5 in total payroll. Aaron Judge takes up a large part of that payroll alongside Giancarlo Stanton.
If the Yankees had it their way, they'd bring back Bellinger on a team-friendly team, and trade Jazz Chisholm for a star at another position of need. The Yanks could also use some front-end pitching depth.
Needless to say, the Yankees front office is well aware this team took a step back in 2025. The Yankees went from a pennant-winning team to second in the AL East. They don't hang Wild Card banners in the Bronx.
As Bowden mentioned, the Yankees will be favored to re-sign Bellinger until they don't. That's a great sign, but also won't get them across the finish line.