Dec 17, 2024, 04:52 PM ET
The New York Yankees acquired outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger in a trade with the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, continuing to stock up on high-end talent in the wake of outfielder Juan Soto‘s free agent defection to the New York Mets, sources told ESPN.
In the deal, the Yankees will receive $5 million to offset Bellinger’s salary — he will make $27.5 million in 2025 and has a player option for $25 million in 2026 — and will send right-handed reliever Cody Poteet to the Cubs, sources said.
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The acquisition of Bellinger follows the free agent signing of left-handed starter Max Fried and a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for All-Star closer Devin Williams. Coming off a World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Yankees have spent the week since Soto’s signing fortifying themselves for another run.
Bellinger, 29, is a former National League MVP whose 2023 resurgence was followed by a solid 2024. After hitting .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs for the Cubs this year, he declined to opt out of the rest of his deal.
The Cubs had spent the winter seeking a trade partner for Bellinger, looking to free up payroll in hopes of improving a team that went 83-79 this year. The teams spent significant time haggling over the amount of money the Cubs would include in a potential deal. Chicago will send $2.5 million to New York this season and an additional $2.5 million, either to cover the buyout if Bellinger doesn’t exercise his player option or to cover his salary if he does.
