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The Blue Jays chances of landing Cody Bellinger just went up.
The Toronto Blue Jays and the rest of the MLB are waiting for Cody Bellinger’s decision.
The Blue Jays missed out on Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, and Alex Bregman already this winter. However, outside of Tucker, it’s not clear how invested Toronto was in adding Bregman or Bichette. The Los Angeles Dodgers added Tucker, while Bichette landed with the New York Mets, and the Chicago Cubs picked up the now former Boston Red Sox third baseman.
Following these decisions, it appears that a Bellinger decision is not far behind. According to one report, he should be signing within the next week. However, a surprise transaction has seemingly taken the Mets out of the Bellinger sweepstakes.
One Cody Bellinger Suitor is Off the Market
On January 20, 2026, the Mets traded with the Chicago White Sox. In exchange for Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley, they acquired center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
Jim Bowden recently said that, outside the New York Yankees and Mets, he doesn’t know of any other team with interest in Bellinger. We will wait to see if that is true.
In 110 games in 2025, Robert recorded 14 home runs, 53 RBIs, 85 hits, and 33 stolen bases. He is turning 29 in the 2026 season.
It should be pointed out that with his production and potential, Robert would have been a solid addition to Toronto’s outfield. Regardless of whether the Blue Jays were interested in Robert, this transaction greatly increases their chances of landing Bellinger.
Two Mystery Teams Are in On Bellinger, Are the Blue Jays One of Them?
According to a report from insider Jon Heyman, Bellinger is weighing his options from multiple teams.
“Cody Bellinger is weighing interest from the Yankees, Mets, and two others,” Heyman wrote on X on January 20th, 2026.
But that begs the question, who are the “two others”?
It’s reasonable to expect that any team that was in on Tucker would also be in on Bellinger. That included the Mets and Blue Jays.
Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reported yesterday on the state of the Blue Jays. In his report, he revealed that a “major move” was unlikely. However, he stated that if the Blue Jays make a move, it’s likely a trade.
“In short, another major move appears unlikely for the Jays. However, they’ve surprised before,” Bannon wrote. “Cody Bellinger certainly fits the mold of a significant upgrade. The Jays haven’t appeared particularly interested in the 30-year-old free agent this winter. The free-agent market thins out quickly after Bellinger, making the trade market the next avenue for a sizeable addition.”
Trade Market ‘Makes a Lot of Sense’ For the Blue Jays
While it appears that things may have dried up on the free agency side of things, the Blue Jays could still make noise on the trade market.
Keegan Matheson of MLB.com believes that the trade market is the likeliest route that Toronto will take.
“The Blue Jays haven’t developed a true everyday outfielder since Kevin Pillar,” Matheson wrote on January 21, 2026. “To find one with offensive upside, we’re reaching back for Vernon Wells. This likely needs to come externally. The outfield trade market makes a lot of sense for this organization.”
With Robert off the table, there are still some significant options left for the Blue Jays.
Spotrac has a list of trade candidates that could be appealing to Toronto. Fernando Tatis Jr of the San Diego Padres and Nick Castellanos of the Philadelphia Phillies are at the top of the list. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar is also on the list.
Of course, despite all the speculation, Bellinger is now headed back to the Yankees. Jeff Passan reports that a deal worth $162.5 million over five years has been agreed to.
Despite Bellinger going back to New York, the Blue Jays can still add an impactful outfielder with a dangerous bat. Let the trade rumors swirl!
Caleb Kerney Caleb covers the NHL for Heavy.com. He has covered professional hockey since 2022, including bylines at Dobber Prospects, The Hockey Writers, and The Hockey News. More about Caleb Kerney
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