New York Yankees Should Pursue a Trade For Cubs' Cody Bellinger

With the Cubs struggling, the New York Yankees should pursue a trade for Cody Bellinger.

Jun 13, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Cody Bellinger (24) reacts after striking out against the Tampa Bay Rays in the sixth inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have been rumored to be interested in potentially making a trade to upgrade their first base situation.

Anthony Rizzo is out due to injury, but even before his injury there were rumblings that the Yankees might want an upgrade. That led to quite a few players being speculated as potential targets.

Among those players who were mentioned as possible trade targets were Paul Goldschmidt, Pete Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and more. Now, a new name should be of interest.

With the Chicago Cubs continuing to struggle of late, New York should think about pursuing a trade for star first baseman Cody Bellinger.

There is no guarantee that the Cubs will be interested in selling off any of their talent. However, they're looking less and less likely to be a playoff team by the week. That could force Jed Hoyer to consider his options.

If Chicago is even remotely interested in hearing offers, Bellinger would be an ideal trade target for the Yankees.

Bellinger would provide a massive upgrade for New York at first base. They could even move him into the outfield if they wanted to find ways to keep Rizzo in the lineup. He would give them more options with their lineup.

So far this season, Bellinger has played in 66 games with the Cubs. He has hit .273/.334/.435 and has also chipped in with nine home runs and 34 RBI. He has truly been one of the only bright spots for Chicago in 2024.

While he would be an excellent addition for the rest of the year, he would hit free agency in the offseason. The Yankees would need to view this kind of trade as a half-year rental.

That being said, New York is also expected to go all-in on competing for a World Series this year.

If the Yankees truly believe that this is their year, going all-in with a trade for a half-year rental won't be a big deal. Bellinger could also likely be acquired for a fairly cheap price due to his contract status.

Granted, this idea is far from being a concrete option.

As the deadline draws closer, if the Cubs are still struggling, a trade would look much more likely. New York would also have to have interest in Bellinger.

Those two things seem plausible. It's just a hypothetical idea right now, but trading for Bellinger would make the Yankees better and would be well worth pursuing.