Bellinger to become free agent after opting out of final year of deal (source)

Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger plans to opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent, a source told MLB.com.

Bellinger just completed the second year of a three-year contract that he signed with the Cubs in February 2024, and he has a $25 million player option for next season. The Yankees acquired the 30-year-old outfielder along with cash from the Cubs in exchange for right-hander Cody Poteet last December.

Bellinger enjoyed a productive season with the Bronx Bombers, producing 29 home runs with a .272 average and an .814 OPS over 152 games. That homer total was Bellinger’s best since 2019, when he hit 47 during his National League Most Valuable Player Award-winning season with the Dodgers. His 13.7% strikeout rate and 18.1% whiff rate in '25 were also personal bests.

“I had an unbelievable time putting on this uniform,” Bellinger said following the Yankees’ season-ending loss to the Blue Jays in ALDS Game 4 on Wednesday. “Yankee Stadium, the fans, the organization, the culture that these guys have created in this locker room. It really is special.

"It's such a fun group; it was a fun group to be a part of. We came up short and that part stinks for sure, because we had a really, really good group here.”

Bellinger also played strong defense at all three spots in the Yankees’ outfield and at first base. His plus-9 fielding run value ranked in the 91st percentile in MLB and was second best on the team, behind catcher Austin Wells’ plus-11.

Bellinger -- whose father, Clay, played with the Yankees from 1999-2001 -- is one of many key players on New York’s roster set to test free agency this winter. That group includes outfielder Trent Grisham, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and late-inning relievers Luke Weaver and Devin Williams.