How Cody Bellinger's Future Presents a Difficult Decision for the Yankees

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 7:35 PM ET

Cody Bellinger has been as advertised and more for the Yankees in his first season in pinstripes. Between his career resume and well-documented love for the Bombers, it's no surprise that he been a match made in heaven.

Bellinger is in a tier of his own, as the only outfielder in baseball with over 11 defensive runs saved and an OPS above .825.

His defensive prowess was much of the reason for the Yankees' 3-1 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday, as he gunned down Bo Bichette as the tying run at the plate prior to the rain delay in the sixth.

Belli's future after this season presents yet another difficult decision for the Yankees as they seek to keep this strong offensive core.

The decision for Brian Cashman's squad is whether to aggressively pursue Bellinger, whose 2025 season mirrors his 2019 MVP campaign, on a long-term contract likely worth nine figures.

Paying Bellinger a deservedly lucrative extension would likely take the Yankees out of the running to re-sign Trent Grisham, who has solidified the leadoff spot and clubbed 30 home runs already.

The Grisham vs. Bellinger dilemma will be difficult, because Grisham also brings a sense of composure on both sides of the ball that has been contagious deep into the season.

Grisham's past seasons, however, make it challenging to justify handing him a nine-figure deal, given his 2022-2024 seasons saw him hit below .200 with an OPS below .675.

Paying Belli seems like the far safer option, but is it worth the opportunity cost of losing the dependable and ever-chill Grisham?

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

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