Perhaps the last major available MLB free agent this offseason has come off the board, as outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger has signed a five-year, $162.5 million agreement to return to the Yankees.
The pact—the team’s fourth-largest on the current roster behind deals for superstar Aaron Judge, ace pitcher Gerrit Cole, and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton—ends weeks of back-and-forth negotiations that at multiple points appeared to indicate that Bellinger would not be returning to the Bronx.
Bellinger’s agreement follows ones struck over the past seven weeks involving Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso.
The total value of the new signing pushes Bellinger just past the six-year, $162 million agreement the Yankees have with pitcher Carlos Rodón. Bellinger’s agreement includes opt-outs after the 2027 and 2028 seasons, a full no-trade clause, and a $20 million signing bonus, and it contains no deferrals.
Bellinger is represented by baseball super-agent Scott Boras, whose advocacy for the veteran had included a hacky pun of, “when it comes to Bellinger, there’s no question that the teams have a need. The need to Belli proceed.” The Yankees, however, were able to stand firm against prior requests for a seven-year contract
Broadcast Scheduling
Disney-owned ESPN and ABC, meanwhile, have finalized three additional key MLB games this season that will appear on those networks as part of a dramatically reworked deal with the league.
A resurrected MLB on ABC broadcast franchise will include weekend afternoon broadcasts of the Cubs and Giants on June 14, the top Yankees–Red Sox rivalry on June 27 that will in part feature Bellinger, and an Aug. 16 game with the Cardinals and Cubs.
Overall, ESPN will begin a retooled, 30-game MLB slate on April 15 with Jackie Robinson Day coverage involving the Mets and the two-time defending champion Dodgers. The weekend broadcast games on sister network ABC, however, form a material part of the new contract.
Bellinger and the Yankees will also be part of the league’s season-opening game on March 25 against the Giants, with that contest to be shown on Netflix.
