Cody Bellinger got tired of waiting. The Yankees and Bellinger agreed on a contract, finally, in a deal that always seemed inevitable, as FanSided's Robert Murray told me weeks ago. Finally, Bellinger stayed put, but there are some caveats in his deal that are worth discussing. Follow along live with myself, Robert Murray and Chris Landers as we break down the deal. Trust me, it's worth your time.
Bellinger's contract is loaded, as he signed a five-year deal worth $162.5 million. He has opt outs after the second and third years of his deal, which give him the option to re-enter the free-agent market after he's erased any doubts that kept him from a seven-year deal this winter. Bellinger's deal also takes a lockout into account, which is a rarity in the modern MLB landscape. Should there be a lockout starting next December, Bellinger's opt-outs will be pushed back a year.
How Scott Boras and Cody Bellinger beat the Yankees with no suitors
Bellinger has all the control in his contract. It's a surprisingly-favorable deal given he had few teams to negotiate with. Scott Boras claimed there were four teams interested in Bellinger through the media, but one of those was the Mets, and the other two were mystery organizations. I, for one, never know if those mystery teams are real or a facade made up by agents to get more money. If the latter is the case, then Boras is a pro.
Earlier Wednesday, I bashed Boras for losing all of his leverage and taking Bellinger down with him. I could not have been more wrong, as Bellinger got the original offer the Yankees made him plus $2.5 million. That's not easy to pull off when you're negotiating against yourself.
As for the Yankees, this was a move they had to make. There was no better outfielder than Bellinger on the market, and thus nothing to negotiate with. New York could've added another bat earlier in the offseason, including Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette. Instead, they decided to stand pat and sign the evil they know. Bellinger is a fine player, a plus defender, and coming off one of the best seasons of his career. There's nothing wrong with running it back, as long as the Yankees add at other positions.