NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger listened to pitches from other teams during his second foray into free agency, but he made it clear to his agent that calls from the New York Yankees come first.
It took more than two months, but Bellinger isofficially returning to the Yankees. The versatile outfielder spoke with the media on Wednesday two days after becoming the last of the free-agent hitters to reach a new agreement by signing a five-year, $162.5 million contract.
"I spoke my mind to Scott all the time whether it was on any different occasion," Bellinger said. "I definitely really enjoyed my time. I love playing in New York and I love the stadium. I made that very clear to Scott there as well."
Bellinger's new deal with the club includes a $20 million signing bonus, half payable April 1 and the remainder Aug. 1. The contract also includes a full no-trade provision.
The 30-year-old receives a $32.5 million salary in each of the first two seasons, $25.8 million in the next two and $25.9 million in 2030.
He can opt out after the 2027 or 2028 seasons to become a free agent for the third time. If a work stoppage leads to no games being played in 2027, the agreement specifies the opt outs will shift to after the 2028 and 2029 seasons.
Bellinger's second free agency was a much wider process than his first. After getting non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers in November 2022, he agreed to a one-year,$17.5 million dealwith the Chicago Cubs.
"You work your whole life pretty much in order to get into this type of position," Bellinger said. "So, you want to enjoy the ride and, you want to understand (everything). You want to take in all these many different things that are being thrown at you.
"So it's a combination of wanting to enjoy the process and hear what everyone's got to say and ultimately expressing what you really want and where you want to see your future at."
A two-time All-Star acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubsin December 2024after Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, Bellinger hit .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs last year — including .302 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at Yankee Stadium. A left-handed hitter, he played 149 games in the outfield and seven at first base in his first season since 2022 without a stint on the injured list.
Bellinger appeared in 152 games, last season his most since winning the MVP, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award with the Dodgers. He also hit .353 against left-handed pitching, .348 with runners in scoring position and .304 with runners on base.
"Badly, Badly," manager Aaron Boone said when asked how much he was hoping Bellinger would return.
A Gold Glover in 2019, Bellinger also made standout defensive plays in right and left field.
OnJuly 6,Bellinger also made an 89.8 mph throw from left field after making a shoestring catch on Soto to start a double play in a 6-4 win over the Mets.
Three months later, he made a95.3 mphthrow from right field to get Bo Bichette at the plate in the sixth inning of a 3-1 win over Toronto.
"He can win a game in a lot of different ways and that became very apparent to us," Boone said.
Bellinger is joining a roster mostly intact from last year when the Yankees won 94 games, beat the Red Sox in three games in the wild-card series before getting outscored 34-19 in a four-game ALDS loss to the Blue Jays.
Bellinger has a .261 average with 225 homers and 695 RBIs in eight seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-22), Cubs (2023-24) and the Yankees.
He earned $57.5 million from the $80 million, three-year contract he reached with the Cubs before the 2024 season. Bellinger declined a $25 million option for 2026 in favor of a $5 million buyout.
AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
