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With Bo Bichette gone, is Cody Bellinger the next best fit?
The Toronto Blue Jays sure could use a Cody Bellinger in their lineup.
Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette were perhaps Toronto’s biggest targets. Despite missing out on them, the Blue Jays still want to add a big bat to their lineup. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets swooped in and signed Tucker and Bichette, respectively, to short-term deals, leaving Toronto in the dust.
There is hope for a Bichette replacement in the future, but that doesn’t solve the need for a big bat today. That’s why the latest contract update surrounding Bellinger is great news to the ears of Blue Jays fans. After all, Bellinger’s agent may be waiting for Toronto to up their ante.
New York Yankees’ Offer to Cody Bellinger is Great News For Blue Jays Fans
According to one analyst, the New York Yankees aren’t budging on their offer to Bellinger.
“Hearing Yankees unfazed by the Dodgers’ Tucker contract re: Bellinger and are not budging on their reported 5 year/$155-160 offer for him,” Bill Madden of New York Daily News wrote on social media on January 16, 2026. “According to one source: They will not engage in a bidding war for him. They’re at where they’re at, and that’s not changing.”
The Yankees appear to be driving a hard bargain in their negotiations with Bellinger. They are standing firm on their five-year offer and aren’t budging.
But that’s where the Blue Jays come in.
After offering Tucker a 10-year deal, it seems completely reasonable that they would also be willing to offer Bellinger what he wants: a seven-year pact.
Yankees Trade Rumblings
There is also word that the Yankees will look to the trade market to supplement their lineup.
“They have turned their attention to the trade market, so they’re ready to move on from him if they find a deal to their liking,” Brendan Kuty of The Athletic wrote. “Or are prepared to pivot should he sign elsewhere. They have maintained heavy interest in Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta.”
At this point in time, it’s not publically known what outfield targets they are considering.
Bellinger’s Camp Waiting For ‘One Dumb Owner’
Madden also spoke of Scott Boras, Bellinger’s agent, and how they are waiting for “one dumb owner,” presumably to up their ante and give their camp what they are seeking.
“Boras is still hoping to find One Dumb Owner to top that in both years and AAV, but if one does, the Yankees are prepared to move on,” Madden wrote on January 17th, 2026. “The Yankees insist the Tucker signing has no bearing on their negotiations with Scott Boras on Bellinger. No doubt Boras will attempt to use the $60 million AAV as the new baseline.”
“But, the Yankees long ago determined five years at $31 million to $32 million per year was a more-than-fair value offer for the 30-year-old Bellinger.”
If the Yankees’ offer is $155 million over five years, that averages out to $31 million a year. There’s no reason that the Blue Jays couldn’t offer $32 million for seven years, totalling a cool $224 million.
Cody Bellinger vs Kyle Tucker
Despite one former MLB GM calling Bellinger “Kyle Tucker light,” the numbers paint a different picture.
Tucker connected for 22 home runs, 73 RBIs, and 133 hits while adding 25 stolen bases and a .266 batting average. Conversely, Bellinger smacked 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, 160 hits, while adding 13 stolen bases and a .272 batting average.
So, outside of stolen bases, Bellinger clearly had a better season than Tucker.
Over the last four years, Bellinger has played 556 games. In those games, he has 92 home runs, 341 RBIs, 56 stolen bases, and 556 hits. Alternatively, Tucker has played 521 games in the same time frame. Tucker has 104 home runs, 341 RBIs, 91 stolen bases, and 516 hits.
Despite playing 35 fewer games than Bellinger over the last four seasons, Tucker has more home runs, almost double the stolen bases, and the same number of RBIs.
So while Bellinger did have a better 2025 season than Tucker, Tucker has been a better offensive player. Because of that, none of the MLB teams vying for Bellinger’s services should be suckered into offering him the same amount of money that Tucker received.
Bo Bichette Moving On is a Good Thing
While the Blue Jays signed a lot of shortstops who were international free agents, a 5-foot-8, 162 lb prospect isn’t going to fill Bichette’s shoes this year, or even two years after this year.
Bichette was one of the best hitters available on the market this winter. Despite the Mets signing him, there is a chance he could come back to the Blue Jays.
His $126 million contract includes opt-outs after years one and two. Next year, the Blue Jays will have George Springer and Daulton Varsho coming off the books.
If Bichette has a season to remember in 2026, he would be the best free agent on the market if he opted out. With no one else available, Toronto could push all its chips in and bring homegrown talent back.
While it’s not a good thing for this year, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that a reunion could still be in the cards.
With Tucker off the table, Bellinger is the next best option. While a seven-year deal is reasonable for Bellinger, paying him Tucker’s new AAV isn’t the smart play. After all, if Bichette opts out of his new deal with the Mets, they could bring back a fan-favorite in the prime of his career.
That all sounds like great news to me.