Bellinger Headed to Free Agency; What Will the Yankees Look Like in 2026?

• Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees has decided to opt out of his contract and test free agency.
• The Yankees lost to Toronto in the American League Divisional Series after having World Series aspirations.
• The Yankees have several free agents this season, and could look quite unfamiliar in 2026.

Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees will opt out of his contract, becoming a free agent next season.

Bellinger is one of many Yankee free agents this offseason, and could look much different in 2026.

Bellinger Turns Down $25 Million Player Option to Hit Free Agency

Bellinger made his decision public on Friday, two days after the Yankees were eliminated in the American League Divisional Series by the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 30-year-old bounced back after a down year with the Chicago Cubs in 2024. He was essentially traded by the Cubs because of his salary. Bellinger rewarded the Yankees with a .272 average, hitting 29 home runs with 98 RBIs. He thrived as a left-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium’s short right field. However, Bellinger struggled in the playoffs, hitting .214 with a single homer and four RBIs.

Bellinger passed up a $25 million player option to hit free agency, where he’ll likely earn a big multi-year contract. He says he would love to return to the Yankees, but at his age, it’s only right that Bellinger, who won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020, would want more security.

But will he return to the Bronx? Who else could leave New York in the offseason?

Who Else Are Free Agents for the Yankees, and Could They Come Back?

The Yankees’ World Series odds will depend heavily on who returns in 2026. They have plenty of players hitting free agency this winter. Trent Grisham is a free agent after having the best season of his career at 28 years old. Paul Goldschmidt is a free agent, but at 38 years old, it’s unlikely he’ll be back. Amed Rosario, a versatile infielder, will also be a free agent.

The bullpen, which had a tough 2025 campaign, could look very different, for better or for worse. Jonathan Loaisiga, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams are all free agents, while Tim Hill could be.

It’s the Yankees, so they’ll probably manage. They may have to choose between Bellinger and Grisham, both left-handed hitters that flourished in Yankee Stadium. They helped balance out a lineup anchored by right-handed slugger Aaron Judge, who is a favorite to win his third award, according to the MLB MVP odds.

But the Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009. The longest that the Yankees have gone without winning it all is 18 years, between 1978 and 1996. The Yankee fans are getting restless, and there is talk of manager Aaron Boone losing his job as well. Losing Bellinger could be the first domino to fall, and the Yankees could look extremely different in 2026!