Yankees Rumors on Cody Bellinger Contract, Aaron Judge's Influence amid MLB Buzz

As the New York Yankees wait for Cody Bellinger to make his decision in free agency, the two-time All-Star has a notable supporter within the franchise hoping to have him back.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, Aaron Judge is a "big advocate" for the Yankees bringing Bellinger back.

Heyman added that the Yankees are "pretty confident" they will be able to retain Bellinger, who is also receiving interest from the New York Mets.

The Yankees have had a fairly quiet offseason, with all of their moves thus far being reunions with players from the 2025 team. Their biggest deal was retaining Trent Grisham when he accepted the one-year qualifying offer worth $22 million.

Amed Rosario, Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough are the only free agents the Yankees have signed to this point.

Some of that could be attributed to the club waiting on Bellinger to make a decision. One reason he could be holding out is the market has likely raised his price.

Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso both got five-year contracts in free agency. Schwarber's deal with the Philadelphia Phillies is worth $150 million, while Alonso got $155 million from the Baltimore Orioles.

Bellinger is one year younger than Alonso and two years younger than Schwarber. He was also as valuable as Schwarber by fWAR and worth a full win more than Alonso (4.9 to 3.6) in 2025.

The Mets losing Alonso has increased their need for another big hitter in the middle of their lineup. David Stearns, team president of baseball operations, emphasized at the end of last season a desire to upgrade their defense.

Stearns' moves so far indicate he is following through with that plan. Marcus Semien was acquired from the Texas Rangers to play second base. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo have been dealt away.

The Nimmo move, in particular, opened up a spot in center field that someone like Bellinger could easily fill if they want to get aggressive with a contract offer.

It's unclear what the offers for Bellinger have been to this point, though his market has reportedly been "robust."

Some of the past concerns about Bellinger's performance and durability going forward have likely been assuaged based on his play over the past three seasons. He has hit .281/.338/.477 with 73 homers in 412 games since 2023.

The Yankees know as well as anyone how important Bellinger can be to the success of a team. They don't have an obvious in-house replacement for him if he signs elsewhere, especially as they are trying to catch the Toronto Blue Jays as the team to beat in the AL East next season.