Yankees Seen As 'Top Suitor' For Cubs Outfielder in Trade
The New York Yankees are considered a top suitor for Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, per MLB Trade Rumors.
The Cubs are trying to determine if they’ll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said that the Cubs may not know that until the final days before the Aug. 1 deadline. It will all be determined by where the Cubs are in the standings.
Bellinger has become one of the top names in the potential trade market for teams that are looking for a left-handed bat that can play outfield, first base and designated hitter.
The Yankees have had an outfield problem for a good portion of the season, exacerbated by the injury to star outfielder Aaron Judge, who was running bases in Anaheim on Wednesday as part of his rehab work.
Bellinger would likely be an upgrade over just about every option the Yankees have in the corner outfield spots. But there’s a potential pitfall to the plan, as MLB Trade Rumors points out:
Acquiring Bellinger would push the Yankees past the $293MM fourth competitive balance tax line unless the Cubs paid down the entire deal (thereby increasing the prospect return). New York has been reluctant to exceed that rather symbolic marker — there are no additional non-monetary penalties for doing so — but ownership and the front office could feel increased pressure to add to a floundering roster that is now outside the playoff picture. It’s easy to see the appeal of adding Bellinger’s left-handed bat to the Yankee Stadium short porch and a lineup that skews heavily to the right side.
Bellinger is having a bounce-back season after two atrocious years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has a 2024 mutual option on his contract.
He missed a month due to injury but in 63 games he’s slashed .308/.365/.523/.888 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI.
