Cody Bellinger’s big call goes official — and Yankees fans can’t decide how to feel

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr., David Ortiz Celebrate ALDS Win

Cody Bellinger’s big decision has Yankees fans divided

By Adam Weinrib | 22 hours ago

Cody Bellinger’s 2025 postseason was a study in contradictions.

In Game 3, he misplayed a routine blooper he’s caught a thousand times before — this one fell in, triggering a four-run inning for the Yankees as the play unraveled in slow motion. Then in Game 4, he turned around and made a spectacular sliding catch in foul territory, bailing out Cam Schlittler in the first inning with pure hustle.

The irony? The Yankees won Game 3 after his blunder but lost Game 4 after his highlight-reel save. Go figure.

At the plate, it was the same story. In Game 3, Bellinger’s liner to right should’ve been caught, but Anthony Santander couldn’t handle it. In Game 4, he struck out flailing at a Jeff Hoffman pitch to end the game. Baseball — it evens out.

Now, the contradictions continue into the offseason. The Yankees are eyeing their payroll, as usual, and will likely have to pick between Bellinger and Kyle Tucker. One costs nearly three times as much as the other — but the “cheaper” guy happens to be represented by Scott Boras, who never plays by those rules.

Bellinger had the chance to opt in and make things easy for New York, but as expected, he declined — choosing instead to test the open market. His decision, reported by Jorge Castillo, sets up a potential bidding war between him and Tucker.

Bellinger’s coming off a strong walk year, while Tucker battled injuries, inconsistency, and even a brief benching. Still, Tucker’s Cubs are still playing, with the outfielder homering in Game 4 to force a decisive game in Milwaukee.

So what do Yankees fans want? Many — especially those who watched Bellinger quietly become one of 2025’s most reliable hitters — want him back in pinstripes. Others think it’s déjà vu: another offseason where emotion clashes with financial reality.

The question now isn’t just what the Yankees can afford — it’s what kind of history they want to repeat.


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