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Aug 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Cody Bellinger (24) hits an RBI single during the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Wrigley Field. Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

New York Yankees Acquire Former MVP Cody Bellinger in Trade With Chicago Cubs

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Dec 17, 2024 5:09 PM ET

The Chicago Cubs have traded outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Tuesday.

Per Passan, the Yankees will be sending the Cubs right-handed relief pitcher Cody Poteet as part of the deal. Chicago, meanwhile, will be sending cash to the Bronx along with Bellinger – $5 million, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

The Yankees had been on the verge of acquiring the 29-year-old slugger for several days, but the deal was held up when the two sides couldn't decide how much of Bellinger's contract the Cubs would be eating. Those issues appear to have been sorted out, though, with the trade reportedly finalized.

Bellinger had been at the center of trade rumors all offseason long, but things really started to heat up when the Cubs acquired All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros last week. The Yankees, on the other hand, were in the market for a star outfielder after Juan Soto left to sign a record-breaking contract with the New York Mets last week.

BREAKING: OF/1B Cody Bellinger has been traded from the Chicago Cubs to the New York Yankees, sources tell ESPN. Bellinger, 29, is a former MVP and has two years remaining on his contract with an opt-out after 2025. Yankees continue to be aggressive post-Juan Soto.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 17, 2024

Bellinger hit .266 with a .751 OPS in 2024, putting up 18 home runs, 78 RBI, nine stolen bases and a 2.2 WAR in 130 games. It marked a significant dropoff from his resurgent 2023 campaign, when he hit .307 with 26 home runs, 97 RBI, 20 stolen bases, an .881 OPS and a 4.4 WAR en route to a Silver Slugger Award and a 10th-place finish in the NL MVP race.

Before his two-year stint in Chicago, Bellinger was one of the faces of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bellinger was an All-Star and the NL Rookie of the Year in 2017. Two years later, he made his second All-Star appearance, on top of winning NL MVP, a Silger Slugger and a Gold Glove. That season, Bellinger hit .305 with 47 home runs, 115 RBI, 15 stolen bases, a 1.035 OPS and an 8.6 WAR.

However, Bellinger hit .203 with a .648 OPS and a -0.1 WAR over the next three seasons, leading to a swift end to his time with the Dodgers. It remains to be seen which version of Bellinger will show up in New York, with such extreme highs and lows defining his career thus far.

Bellinger is under contract for $27.5 million in 2025, but the Yankees will only be paying him $22.5 million. He also holds a $25 million player option for the 2026 season.

Poteet, a 30-year-old swingman, was not a major part of the Yankees' success in 2024, but he did go 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA, 1.068 WHIP and 0.9 WAR in four starts and one relief appearance. Including his time with the Miami Marlins – prior to a Tommy John surgery that knocked him out of the big leagues for two years – Poteet is 5-4 with a 3.80 ERA, 1.217 WHIP and 1.3 WAR across 83.0 innings in his MLB career.

The Cubs can slide the righty into their bullpen, since they already have five dependable starters healthy under contract. Poteet's versatility could prove valuable, however, as Chicago tries to contend in 2025.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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