The New York Yankees are in the process of acquiring outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger and cashing in from the Chicago Cubs for right-hander Cody Poteet, league sources confirmed The athlete on Tuesday.

Bellinger is the Yankees’ first significant offensive player since losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets in free agency. In 2024, Bellinger posted a wRC+ of 109, hit 18 home runs and drove in 78 RBIs in 130 games.

Before the Cubs traded star outfielder Kyle Tucker, Bellinger’s agent Scott Boras indicated that Bellinger would not be surprised by a potential trade, thanks to ongoing discussions with Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer. The Cubs were motivated to move Bellinger because of his contract. He has $27.5 million in debt in 2025 and a $25 million player option for 2026 before becoming a free agent in 2027. To complete the trade, the Cubs will send $5 million to the Yankees.

“Jed told us they have some issues with the roster configuration that they’ve been looking into,” Boras said at the winter meetings. “Cody and I talked about it a lot. Whenever the player finds themselves in this situation, there is always an expectation. But we also know that where Cody is in his career right now – where his contract is – if that happens, he’s going to go to a very competitive team. If he stays in Chicago, he will be very welcome there.”

Bellinger’s 2024 season was a step down from his 2023 season, when he posted a 136 wRC+. His expected advanced metrics were more consistent with his actual performance in 2024 than last year, when he significantly exceeded his expected numbers. In 2023, his .370 wOBA was significantly higher than his .327 xwOBA, making him one of the luckiest hitters in baseball by Statcast standards. However, this season his performance was more in line with his expectations and he was slightly above average overall. There is a risk that his numbers will fall further as he still significantly exceeded his expected metrics in 2024.

Some of that risk could be mitigated by the fact that Bellinger’s swing is well-suited to the home run-friendly environment of Yankee Stadium for lefties. Bellinger’s uppercut swing, in particular, could help him increase his home run total by playing half of his games in the Bronx. Statcast projects that if Bellinger had played all of 2024 at Yankee Stadium, he would have hit 24 home runs, compared to just 15 at Wrigley Field. While this doesn’t guarantee a double-digit increase in home runs, it does illustrate the potential he has in New York.

Bellinger finished in the 89th percentile in pulled fly ball rate, and further optimization of his swing could improve his overall performance.

Bellinger also brings valuable positional flexibility to the Yankees, which may ultimately be his greatest value. He’s capable of playing any outfield position – which could allow Aaron Judge to move back to right field, a position he’s more comfortable at. This could also open the door for rookie outfielder Jasson Domínguez to move to center field instead of left field, a position he struggled with after being called up in September.

Bellinger’s versatility also gives manager Aaron Boone more options. If Domínguez struggles at the plate or in the field, Bellinger could take over the center position. Additionally, Bellinger can step in if Ben Rice emerges as the starting first baseman and faces challenges.

If Bellinger played left field or first base, even an average offensive performance would be a boost for the Yankees. Alex Verdugo had one of the worst offensive seasons in MLB in 2024 and the Yankees posted the lowest OPS at first base. Bellinger should be a significant improvement.

Defensively, Bellinger’s performance has declined over the last two years. If he played left field and took over for Verdugo, that position would be downgraded defensively; However, with Judge potentially moving to right field and Domínguez moving to center, the Yankees’ outfield could see an improvement overall. Judge, who was among MLB’s worst defensive center fielders in 2024, will benefit from the positional change, and Bellinger’s ability to cover multiple spots could solidify the defense.

Additionally, Bellinger is a more effective base runner than Verdugo and Soto, providing additional dynamism on the base paths.

The Yankees made a good move in acquiring Bellinger, but will need additional reinforcements to fill the void left by Soto’s departure and fully address their offensive needs.

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(Photo: Quinn Harris/Getty Images)