The Cody Bellinger sweepstakes are officially over, and he's headed back to the Bronx. The former NL MVP has agreed to a five-year, $162.5 million deal with the New York Yankees, complete with opt-outs after the second and third seasons, a $20 million signing bonus, and a full no-trade clause. It's a significant move-one that brings clarity to a free agency saga that had lingered throughout the offseason.
For much of the winter, the Yankees and Bellinger danced around a reunion, with both sides seemingly holding firm in a contract standoff. The Yankees reportedly had a five-year, $160 million offer on the table, but things didn’t move until their crosstown rivals, the Mets, pivoted in a different direction. Once the Mets pulled the trigger on a trade for Luis Robert Jr., the writing was on the wall: Bellinger was heading back to the Yankees.
That Mets move effectively shifted the leverage in the Yankees’ favor. With one major suitor off the board, Bellinger and agent Scott Boras were left with fewer options. The Yankees didn’t blink, and ultimately, Bellinger took the deal that had been sitting there all along-with a little extra added in for good measure.
From a broader perspective, this move doesn’t just impact the Yankees. It also reverberates across the American League, especially in the AL East.
The Baltimore Orioles, who had been loosely linked to Bellinger early in the offseason, were never serious contenders once they shifted their focus elsewhere-trading for Taylor Ward and signing Pete Alonso. Still, had Bellinger landed with the Mets, it would’ve been a more favorable outcome for Baltimore.
Instead, he returns to a division rival that’s starting to build momentum after a quiet start to the winter.
Now, all eyes turn to what the Yankees do next. In the past few weeks, they’ve started to show signs of life.
They acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers in a trade and are reportedly still engaged in talks for Brewers starter Freddy Peralta. If they manage to land Peralta, it would mark a significant shift in the AL East landscape-and it would crank up the pressure on the Orioles to respond.
Baltimore’s offseason has been solid, but with the Yankees waking up, the Blue Jays staying aggressive, and the Red Sox making strides with their pitching staff, the Orioles can’t afford to stand pat. They’ve been linked to a few rotation upgrades, and while Justin Verlander could be a viable fallback, there’s a growing sense that Framber Valdez is the arm they need to stay in the thick of the division race.
Adding Valdez would be a statement-one that says Baltimore isn’t just content with being good; they’re aiming to be great. Because in a division that’s suddenly heating up again, standing still might as well be moving backward.
So while the Yankees just made one of the splashiest moves of the offseason by bringing back Bellinger, the Orioles still have time to make a counterpunch. The AL East is shaping up to be a heavyweight fight in 2026. And the bell hasn’t even rung yet.