All offseason, we’ve heard how interested the New York Yankees are in bringing back Cody Bellinger, who they acquired from the Chicago Cubs last offseason. Jon Heyman reported earlier this morning that Aaron Judge is a “big advocate” for the Yankees to re-sign Cody Bellinger this offseason.
Judge Is Pushing For Bellinger
Aaron Judge advocating for Bellinger’s return should not come as a shock. He holds a lot of power within the Yankees organization and always has an input on the players that come in and out. Looking directly at the past two offseasons, New York acquired Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox and signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal. Both of these players, Aaron Judge desperately wanted on the team, and specifically said he pushed Brian Cashman to acquire Verdugo for years.
Fast forward to today, and Verdugo is now one of the most hated Yankees in the past five years, and Goldschmidt was benched down the stretch this past year for Ben Rice. Every player and move Judge has wanted the Yankees to make has not worked out, and the same will hold for Cody Bellinger.
After the Toronto Blue Jays eliminated them in the Divisional Series, Aaron Judge spoke to the media and voiced his desire to bring back Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger.
“Grish and Bellinger, two guys who had incredible years. It was fun to watch them, fun to learn from them. I hope we can run them back and see what happens.”
Since that quote, the Yankees extended Grisham the $22 million qualifying offer, and he is now back, and the Yankees continue to sit on their hands every day waiting for Cody Bellinger to come running back.
Judge Doesn’t Want To Win
If he genuinely wanted to secure his legacy in the Bronx, he would push for the Yankees to pursue the top talent available, rather than prioritizing personal relationships. Players like Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker are significantly better hitters than Cody Bellinger and would form a truly elite lineup alongside Judge.
Re-signing Bellinger wouldn’t necessarily harm the team, but it signals a willingness to settle for less when superior options are available. It also suggests a return to the same lineup that, aside from Judge, consistently underperformed and failed to deliver in crucial moments.
What Happens Next?
It’s disappointing to witness the current state of the organization and the direction of Judge’s priorities during his prime years. Should he fail to win a championship in New York, it would be remembered as one of the greatest organizational failures in Major League Baseball history.
