Commerce particulars: New York Yankees purchase OF/1B Cody Bellinger and money concerns from the Chicago Cubs for RHP Cody Poteet
The Yankees wanted one other bat after the departure of Juan Soto, and so they received one on a budget, so to talk, buying and selling a replacement-level arm to the Cubs and taking over about 90 % of Bellinger’s remaining contract. Bellinger makes the Yankees considerably higher, however I don’t suppose he does sufficient to deal with their lineup questions, and he could find yourself pushing their high prospect — Jasson Domínguez — out of his finest place.
If I have been within the Yankees’ footwear, I might have most popular to accumulate Seiya Suzuki, whose OBP abilities could be an ideal match for a Yankees lineup that’s going to have critical issues placing guys on base. Amongst Yankees at the moment on their roster, Aaron Choose is the one one who had an OBP over .324 final yr, and the one one who had an OBP over .319 in opposition to left-handed pitchers.
Bellinger’s OBP final yr was .325, only a tick beneath his profession OBP of .334, and his OBP in opposition to lefties in 2024 was simply .305 (profession .321). Including him to a lineup that may have already got left-handed regulars at a minimal at second base (Jazz Chisholm Jr.) and catcher (Austin Wells) — in addition to the switch-hitting Domínguez, who’s considerably higher batting left-handed — isn’t fixing any of their major offensive issues.
Buying and selling for Suzuki quite than Bellinger would even have allowed the Yankees to maintain Domínguez at his pure place of middle. It seems that New York intends to play Bellinger in middle, though he’s simply a median defender there, and slide Domínguez to left, the place he’ll ultimately be a plus defender, however struggled in his first stint there in 2024. They might additionally put Bellinger at first base, the place’s he’s nonetheless plus, and restore Domínguez to middle, assuming the membership misses out on or declines to signal one of many remaining free-agent first basemen, like Christian Walker, or determine as a substitute to signal outfielder Teoscar Hernández.
Bellinger’s means to play middle and first base leaves flexibility for the Yankees to accumulate both one other outfielder or a primary baseman. (Chris Coduto / Getty Photos)
Bellinger does have pull energy, and as a left-handed hitter, he might get a number of additional homers out of Yankee Stadium’s brief proper discipline. His pull share was really at a profession low 40.5 % this previous season, which remains to be larger than the MLB common, and I assume the Yankees will encourage him to revive his larger pull charges of prior years. Even his comparatively low residence run complete from 2024 of 18 would rank third amongst returning Yankees, behind solely Choose and Giancarlo Stanton.
I’ve buried the lede slightly right here, although, which is that the Yankees received Bellinger free of charge. They traded Cody Poteet, a 30-year-old right-hander who has been a replacement-level pitcher by FanGraphs’ WAR, which is probably going extra correct than bWAR in his case given his .237 BABIP allowed within the majors and .302 BABIP allowed in Triple A. (That’s, he’s been tremendous fortunate within the majors, as a result of his time in Triple A says he has no particular means to restrict hits on balls in play that will help him sustaining such a low major-league BABIP going ahead.)
The Yankees are even getting $2.5 million from the Cubs in every of the subsequent two years, in order that they’ll pay Bellinger $25 million this yr, and $22.5 million in 2026 if he doesn’t decide out. (If he opts out, the 2 golf equipment will break up his $5 million buyout.) That’s a bit wealthy for his 2.2 WAR efficiency this previous season, however a steal if he will get again to his 4.4 WAR efficiency from 2023. I can discuss all day about how Suzuki was a greater match, however he additionally would have price them one thing extra in prospects or younger massive leaguers than Bellinger did. Suzuki additionally has a no-trade clause, which can have sophisticated a deal.
I’d be much more sad to see the Cubs dump a wage had they not simply made an enormous swing for Kyle Tucker, and if this makes them extra inclined to go commerce for or signal a No. 2 starter, than all the higher. The Cubs’ proprietor shouldn’t be crying penury, but when transferring Bellinger — a positive however in the end superfluous participant on this roster, which nonetheless most likely has extra outfielders than they will play — makes including that one further arm possible, I’m good with it.
The Cubs want yet one more arm forward of their passel of back-end starters, together with Jameson Taillon (who bounced again to 2.2-2.3 WAR final yr), the endlessly underrated Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks, and Ben Brown (who I believe might be higher suited to the bullpen). As with their lineup previous to the Tucker commerce, they’ve assembled a very good rotation of 2-3 WAR starters. Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga have been at precisely 3.0 fWAR final yr, though Steele is best than that when totally wholesome. They want a greater starter out entrance, whether or not it’s forward of or simply behind Steele.
The funds room they only regained from buying and selling Bellinger ought to go proper into pitching — not into Tom Ricketts’ pocket.
(Prime picture of Bellinger: Orlando Ramirez / USA As we speak)