Cody Bellinger’s Offensive Slump Could Trigger $25 Million Headache for Yankees

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated May 12, 2025 12:36 PM ET

After a red-hot spring that had fans and scouts talking about a potential bounce-back season and Yankees legend Tino Martinez predicting a monster year, Cody Bellinger has cooled off considerably. According to The Bergen Record’s Pete Caldera, the veteran outfielder’s first quarter with the New York Yankees has been “disappointing and uneven”—particularly at the plate.

While his bat’s been quiet, Caldera points out his looming contract is echoing very loudly for the Yankees as they look to the future.

Caldera notes that if Bellinger’s offensive numbers don’t rebound, he might consider exercising his $25 million player option for the 2026 season. That would allow him to avoid a soft free-agent market and aim for a reset year instead—something more players are starting to consider in a volatile post-pandemic contract landscape.

The Chicago Cubs gave Bellinger a three-year, $80 million deal that includes opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. It was a structure built to protect both sides with short-term flexibility for the club, and upside potential for Bellinger if he returned to form.

So far, it looks like it will protect Bellinger.

Through his first 150 plate appearances, the lefty slugger is batting just .221 with five home runs and a .675 OPS. For a player expected to anchor the middle of the Yankees’ lineup and help carry them through a competitive AL East race, it’s not the production they envisioned.

What’s keeping Bellinger valuable and probably the main reason he is playing every day is the glove. He’s played Gold Glove-caliber defense across all three outfield spots.

Bellinger was brought in as part of the Yankees’ pivot after losing Juan Soto in free agency. The Yankees liked his defense and felt his left-handed swing would benefit from playing in Yankee Stadium 81 times a year.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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