Yankees Reportedly 'Worried' About Signing Free Agent Star Slugger Despite Speculation

Should the Yankees look into landing one of the top free-agent sluggers this offseason?

What will the New York Yankees do in free agency?

New York's biggest offseason question mark certainly is improving the offense. The Yankees won 82 games in 2023 but had one of the worst offenses in baseball. If the Yankees could improve the middle of the lineup this offseason, they could be back in the postseason next year. New York certainly will be looking to add to the rotation, but the offense is the biggest question mark. 

One player who has been linked to the Yankees on numerous occasions is Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger. He would immediately help fix the club's offense and fill a need in the outfield but he does have some question marks. Although New York has been linked to Bellinger on multiple occasions, it does sound like the Yankees have some concerns, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

"The Yankees like free agent Cody Bellinger but some Yankee people are worried about his hard-hit rate even after his brilliant season," Heyman said. "He seems like the perfect fit as an excellent center fielder who bats left-handed and hit .306 after a couple of rough injury years.

"But some analytics work against him (my thought: hard-hit rate favors guys who whiff, aka Joey Gallo, not Bellinger, who hit .279 with two strikes by putting the ball in play)."

Bellinger is an intriguing name to look out for. He has plenty of upside and could help out the Yankees but will land a massive contract in free agency. At this point, it's unclear what will happen. New York has looked into a move and has been linked to Bellinger over the last year but may not end up landing him.