Good Morning, Birdland,
There were two rather significant bits of baseball news in the last 24 hours.
First, the Yankees acquired 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger from the Cubs in exchange for pitcher Cody Poteet. The deal also includes $5 million in cash considerations coming to the Yankees in two installments: $2.5 million towards Bellinger’s 2025 salary, and $2.5 million towards either his 2026 player option or half of his $5 million buyout. Bellinger’s player option for 2026 is worth $25 million if he picks it up.
Bellinger has been on a roller coaster these last few years, crashing out with the Dodgers when he posted a 44 OPS+ in 2021 and an 81 OPS+ in 2022.