Sep 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Cody Bellinger (35) celebrates with first base coach Travis Chapman after hitting a single during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Yankees Star Has One Desire With Next Contract

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Erin Shapland | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 7:00 AM ET

New York Yankees star outfielder Cody Bellinger is rapidly becoming a hot commodity. As he stares down free agency at the end of this season, speculation about the fate of the 30-year-old slugger continues to swirl. Based on a recent interview with Bellinger, MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that he has just one thing on his mind.

"Bellinger told me the other day that he wants to play for a winner, that's his only prerequisite," Heyman said on MLB Network.

The Yankees would be loath to give up another hard-hitting outfielder to the Mets after losing Juan Soto to a record-breaking contract in 2024, and they'll likely be willing to dig deep for Bellinger. In his single season in pinstripes so far, Bellinger is batting .277 with 27 home runs and 88 RBIs. His on-base plus slugging (OPS), .832, is second only to Aaron Judge on the Yankees roster.

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Bellinger is well-loved in New York, which Heyman pointed out as well.

"Bellinger has had a terrific year in the Bronx, in fact one Yankees person told me 'he's our best player,' " Heyman said. "That's obviously an exaggeration, but he has been really good in four spots, [...] I do think he would stay in a big market, whether it's the Yankees or — the Mets would be a fit too."

The Yankees are expected to have an advantage in the Bellinger conversation, as they are once again . If they are once again unable to secure a championship, manager Aaron Boone might see the end of his time at the helm, and even more questions will emerge about the future of the organization. It's unlikely to shake Bellinger at least, whose father Clay played for the Yankees during his career, and who "loves being a Yankee" according to Heyman.

Bellinger and Trent Grisham will likely be the Yankees' biggest looming questions in free agency, but they're just interested in baseball at the moment. When asked about the possibilities a month ago, Bellinger made his priorities clear.

“As cliche as it is, as cliche as it sounds, I don’t even want to think about it,” Bellinger said. “I don’t think about it because we have 40-some games left. When I talked to Scott [Boras], he told me to just focus on playing baseball and do the best I can every day. That’s my goal, so I show up every day and focus on the task at hand.”

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!