Yankees acquire Cody Bellinger for minimal cost but he's not a perfect fit: Law

Trade details: New York Yankees get OF/1B Cody Bellinger and rate considerations from the Chicago Cubs for RHP Cody Poteet

The Yankees needed different bat aft the departure of Juan Soto, and they sewage 1 connected the cheap, truthful to speak, trading a replacement-level limb to the Cubs and taking connected astir 90 percent of Bellinger’s remaining contract. Bellinger makes the Yankees somewhat better, but I don’t deliberation he does capable to reside their lineup questions, and he whitethorn extremity up pushing their apical imaginable — Jasson Domínguez — retired of his champion position.

If I were successful the Yankees’ shoes, I would person preferred to get Seiya Suzuki, whose OBP skills would beryllium a cleanable fresh for a Yankees lineup that is going to person superior problems putting guys connected base. Among Yankees presently connected their roster, Aaron Judge is the only 1 who had an OBP complete .324 past year, and the only 1 who had an OBP complete .319 against left-handed pitchers.

Bellinger’s OBP past twelvemonth was .325, conscionable a tick beneath his profession OBP of .334, and his OBP against lefties successful 2024 was conscionable .305 (career .321). Adding him to a lineup that will already person left-handed regulars astatine a minimum astatine 2nd guidelines (Jazz Chisholm Jr.) and catcher (Austin Wells) — arsenic good arsenic the switch-hitting Domínguez, who is substantially amended batting left-handed — isn’t solving immoderate of their main violative problems.

Trading for Suzuki alternatively than Bellinger would besides person allowed the Yankees to support Domínguez astatine his earthy position of center. It appears that New York intends to play Bellinger successful center, moreover though he’s conscionable an mean defender there, and descent Domínguez to left, wherever he’ll yet beryllium a positive defender, but struggled successful his first stint location successful 2024. They could besides put Bellinger astatine first base, where’s he’s still plus, and reconstruct Domínguez to center, assuming the nine misses retired connected aliases declines to motion 1 of the remaining free-agent first basemen, for illustration Christian Walker, aliases determine alternatively to motion outfielder Teoscar Hernández.

Bellinger does person propulsion power, and arsenic a left-handed hitter, he could get a fewer other homers retired of Yankee Stadium’s short correct field. His propulsion percent was really astatine a profession debased 40.5 percent this past season, which is still higher than the MLB average, and I presume the Yankees will promote him to reconstruct his higher propulsion rates of anterior years. Even his comparatively debased location tally full from 2024 of 18 would rank 3rd among returning Yankees, down only Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

I’ve buried the lede a small here, though, which is that the Yankees sewage Bellinger for free. They traded Cody Poteet, a 30-year-old right-hander who has been a replacement-level pitcher by FanGraphs’ WAR, which is apt much meticulous than bWAR successful his lawsuit fixed his .237 BABIP allowed successful the fields and .302 BABIP allowed successful Triple A. (That is, he’s been ace fortunate successful the majors, because his clip successful Triple A says he has nary typical expertise to limit hits connected balls successful play that would support him sustaining specified a debased major-league BABIP going forward.)

The Yankees are moreover getting $2.5 cardinal from the Cubs successful each of the adjacent 2 years, truthful they’ll salary Bellinger $25 cardinal this year, and $22.5 cardinal successful 2026 if he doesn’t opt out. (If he opts out, the 2 clubs will divided his $5 cardinal buyout.) That’s a spot rich | for his 2.2 WAR capacity this past season, but a bargain if he gets backmost to his 4.4 WAR capacity from 2023. I tin talk each time astir really Suzuki was a amended fit, but he besides would person costs them thing much successful prospects aliases young large leaguers than Bellinger did. Suzuki besides has a no-trade clause, which whitethorn person analyzable a deal.

I’d beryllium a batch much unhappy to spot the Cubs dump a net had they not conscionable made a large plaything for Kyle Tucker, and if this makes them much inclined to spell waste and acquisition for aliases motion a No. 2 starter, than each the better. The Cubs’ proprietor shouldn’t beryllium crying penury, but if moving Bellinger — a good but yet superfluous subordinate connected this roster, which still astir apt has much outfielders than they tin play — makes adding that 1 further limb feasible, I’m bully pinch it.

The Cubs request 1 much limb up of their passel of back-end starters, including Jameson Taillon (who bounced backmost to 2.2-2.3 WAR past year), the everlastingly underrated Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, and Ben Brown (who I deliberation is astir apt amended suited to the bullpen). As pinch their lineup anterior to the Tucker trade, they’ve assembled a really bully rotation of 2-3 WAR starters. Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga were astatine precisely 3.0 fWAR past year, though Steele is amended than that erstwhile afloat healthy. They request a amended starter retired front, whether it’s up of aliases conscionable down Steele.

The fund room they conscionable regained from trading Bellinger should spell correct into pitching — not into Tom Ricketts’ pocket.

(Top photograph of Bellinger: Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)

Keith Law is simply a elder shot writer for The Athletic. He has covered the athletics since 2006 and anterior to that was a typical adjunct to the wide head for the Toronto Blue Jays. He's the writer of "Smart Baseball" (2017) and "The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Moves, and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves" (2020), some from William Morrow. He's connected Instagram/Threads astatine @mrkeithlaw and Bluesky astatine @keithlaw.bsky.social. Follow Keith connected Twitter @keithlaw