Yankees dream World Series-winning lineup after trading for Cody Bellinger

The next step of the New York Yankees' post-Juan Soto plan finally became official on Tuesday afternoon, as the long-rumored trade for Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger got across the finish line after days and days of chicken between Brian Cashman and Jed Hoyer. Bellinger isn't anywhere near the NL MVP he was earlier in his career, but he's a solid-enough hitter with a swing made for Yankee Stadium and exactly the sort of defensive versatility this Yankees team needs. Considering that all it cost was reliever Cody Poteet and a chunk of Hal Steinbrenner's money, that's not a bad bit of business.

But it also can't be the last major move Cashman makes this offseason. The outfield has come into focus, with Bellinger in center, Aaron Judge in right and Jasson Dominguez in left. But what about the infield? Who will wind up starting at first and second base? With Bellinger and Max Fried on board, New York can start to dream big again despite missing out on Soto. So let's come up with the best possible version of the Yankees lineup that could take the field on Opening Day.

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Yankees dream lineup after Cody Bellinger trade also includes Christian Walker, Carlos Correa

That sound you hear is the collective groan of Yankees fans at the prospect of Correa, a long-time nemesis with the Houston Astros, wearing pinstripes. But we know the Minnesota Twins are shopping him as they look to shed payroll this winter, and there simply aren't a ton of other compelling infield options available right now. Correa was a force at the plate last season, posting a 155 OPS+, and his durability concerns are a bit overblown (he's played at least 135 games in three of the last four years).

Shifting him to third and moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second would put less wear and tear on Correa's body, and he's still just 30 years old; the four years left on his deal would only pay him through his age-33 season, at which point New York could move on. That sounds like a better deal than, say, giving Alex Bregman seven years, or opting for a more cost-effective route with someone like Ha-Seong Kim or even former Yankee Gleyber Torres. Correa comes with a much higher ceiling without some of the financial risk that a Bregman contract would incur.

That solves third base. What about first? The Yankees are rumored to be in talks with a number of different options, from Pete Alonso to Anthony Santander to Christian Walker to even veteran fallbacks like Carlos Santana and Paul Goldschmidt.

Walker, though, still makes the most sense here. He's a rock-solid hitter, and he would give the Yankees a defensive upgrade that they should be very interested in after how this past World Series ended. And at age 33, he should come cheaper than someone like Santander, who would be shifting positions.

Alonso is a pipe dream given the contract he's likely seeking, while Santana and Goldschmidt wouldn't move the needle enough. Walker falls right in the sweet spot between affordable and productive, and he would round out what could shape up to be a sneakily deep Yankees lineup in 2025.