Fastball

Toronto Blue Jays Reportedly Tried to Trade For Cody Bellinger Before He Went to Yankees

The Blue Jays have been close on a number of deals this offseason, but have fallen short.

Brady Farkas

Chicago Cubs right fielder Cody Bellinger (24) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a 3-run home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sept 11.
Chicago Cubs right fielder Cody Bellinger (24) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a 3-run home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sept 11. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
In this story:

According to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Toronto Blue Jays tried to acquire former MVP Cody Bellinger before he was dealt to the New York Yankees this week.

Heyman posted the following on "X:"

Blue Jays were also interested in Bellinger. That helped Cubs do the deal they wanted, sending just $5M to Yanks to offset $52.5M owed Bellinger over next two years.

It's unclear what the Blue Jays offered the Cubs, but considering that the Cubs essentially just dumped Bellinger's salary, it stands to reason that the Yankees offered to take more money.

Toronto's interest in Bellinger is not surprising, considering they were one of the few contenders in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. They've been looking for another power-hitter in the lineup - and have been looking to add another outfielder. Bellinger could have played either left or right field, flanking Gold Glove winner Daulton Varsho.

This represents another failed transaction for the Jays this offseason. Though they did acquire Gold Glove infielder Andres Gimenez in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians, they've failed to land Soto or starting pitcher Max Fried. They also no longer appear to be the favorite for former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes.

The Blue Jays are coming off a season in which they went 74-88 and finished last in the American League East. One of the more successful organizations in the last five years, they face a crossroads now with Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. headed for free agency at the end of the 2025 campaign.

Follow Fastball On SI on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball On SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

Home/News