ORLANDO, Fla. — Scott Boras was in full tongue-in-cheek type Tuesday when requested about the marketplace for Cody Bellinger, unleashing a rapid-fire string of baseball puns that touched practically each nook of the league with the picture of an energetic market for the free-agent outfielder and first baseman.
“It is not for me to Choose, however nice gamers see Crimson if they’ve a giant bat Yanked out of their lineup,” Boras mentioned on the Signia by Hilton Orlando. “I have never Met a group that Dodges a five-tool participant. To Phil the center-field want is a Big step in the direction of the playoffs.
“North and south, outfielders that fly with energy, they’re uncommon Birds. Within the offseason, there’s a whole lot of startup to organizations, and for that cause, there’s a whole lot of Angel buyers which can be on the lookout for very versatile outfielders. So aside from that, Belli would not have a lot curiosity.”
Credit score to Boras (or his writers) for the well-rehearsed wordplay. Parsing that data, Boras recommended the marketplace for Bellinger — at minimal — may embody the Yankees, Reds, Mets, Dodgers, Phillies, Giants, Blue Jays and Angels.
That’s not shocking, contemplating Bellinger is rated alongside Kyle Tucker as one of many high free-agent outfielders out there this winter.
The Yankees have spoken overtly about their need to re-sign the 30-year-old Bellinger, who opted out of his contract in November after a powerful first season within the Bronx.
Enjoying in 152 video games for New York this previous season, Bellinger batted .272/.334/.480 with 89 runs, 25 doubles, 5 triples, 29 residence runs, 98 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
Upon arriving on the Winter Conferences on Sunday, common supervisor Brian Cashman mentioned he believes Bellinger “could be an awesome match for us.”
“I believe he’d be an awesome match for anyone,” Cashman mentioned. “I believe he is a really proficient participant that may play a number of positions at a excessive stage, and hits lefties, hits righties. He is a contact man, and I believe the environment was an awesome one for him.”
Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone additionally spoke positively about Bellinger on Monday.
“Who he was within the room, his efficiency between the traces on each side of the ball, his athleticism, his versatility — who would not desire a participant like that?” Boone mentioned “He is earned the fitting now to get up to now of his profession, free company as nonetheless a comparatively younger man. So we’ll see what occurs.”
Although Cashman mentioned the Yankees’ lineup is “indubitably” too left-handed, Bellinger’s means to crush left-handed pitching stands out. He batted .353 (54-for-153) towards southpaws this previous season, the third-highest batting common within the Majors.
Given the vast marketplace for Bellinger, a two-time All-Star (2017, ’19) and two-time Silver Slugger (’19, ’23) who was the Nationwide League’s 2019 Most Beneficial Participant with the Dodgers, Boras mentioned he couldn’t forecast how quickly a deal is likely to be reached.
“I can by no means predict markets, as a result of when house owners become involved, they will do issues in a second’s discover,” Boras mentioned. “And with these kind of gamers, you count on that. It’s occurred earlier than, and we count on it may occur once more.”
Yankees managing common companion Hal Steinbrenner has mentioned it might be “very best” to cut back payroll, having completed 2025 with a $319 million determine. However Cashman mentioned he has not acquired a tough cap from possession.
Boras — who has additionally fielded calls from the Yankees about right-hander Tatsuya Imai — mentioned he has not skilled any indications that the Bombers are working with constraints.
“I don’t assume when Money or [team president] Randy [Levine] name me, they discuss limiting payroll,” Boras mentioned. “They discuss buying gamers. They’ve by no means made any point out of that.
“And I’m going again to what they did with [Juan] Soto final 12 months — Hal and Randy and Money did every thing they might presumably do to pursue an awesome expertise, so I’ve no cause [to think] that they wouldn’t strategy this market any totally different.”
Leave a Reply