Yankees Rumors: Cody Bellinger's Contract Asking Price Seen as 'Prohibitively High'

The New York Yankees are looking to add left-handed hitters who can play the outfield in free agency, although Cody Bellinger's asking price could potentially indicate that he may not be wearing pinstripes at the start of the 2024 season (via Brendan Kuty of The Athletic).

"The team is interested in free-agent center fielder Cody Bellinger, the source said, but so far his asking price has been set prohibitively high."

In the meantime, the Yankees have reportedly had trade talks with the San Diego Padres regarding three-time All-Star Juan Soto.

Bellinger declined a qualifying offer worth roughly $20.3 million from the Chicago Cubs before entering free agency, meaning that the Yankees would have to give up a future draft pick if they were to sign him.

He's reportedly seeking a contract that is "in excess of $250 million," according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

New York has had interest in the 28-year-old for several weeks, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post reporting on Nov. 7 that the two sides had "touched base."

Bellinger's production had declined since his National League MVP-winning campaign in 2019, although he underwent a career resurgence in his lone season with Chicago. As a member of the Cubs, he hit .307 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs while owning a .323 average with runners in scoring position.

The Yankees struggled to score last year as several key players missed time due to injuries, with the team's 673 total runs marking the franchise's lowest amount in a 162-game season since 2014.

While Bellinger alone wouldn't completely alleviate New York's offensive woes, he'd still be a solid complementary bat alongside superstar Aaron Judge in the team's lineup. It's still unknown as to whether the two sides will find an agreeable price on his next contract, though.