The New York Yankees have been consistently in playoff contention, but they are yet to find their first World Series breakthrough since 2009. In 2026, the Yankees, after winning 93 games in the regular season and advancing to the ALDS after sweeping their rival Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round, got swept by the eventual AL pennant winner, the Tampa Bay Rays.
There are clearly some areas of improvement for the Yankees to focus on. For starters, they will have to address their infield situation this offseason, what with Jazz Chisholm Jr. being a free agent.
Perhaps it would be best for the Yankees as well to add some depth to their outfield, as Trent Grisham is also currently a free agent. But for general manager Brian Cashman, he believes that having Cody Bellinger back as a full-time center fielder would be the outcome he's most comfortable in, as per Gary Phillips of New York Daily News.
Bellinger suited up for the Yankees mostly in left field last season, as he played 123 games at that position. But in previous seasons, Bellinger showed that he could be a full-time center fielder.
The Yankees simply relied on rookie Spencer Jones to play his comfort position of center field last season, and Grisham, the team's other outfield option, also played the vast majority of his games at that position.
Nonetheless, Cashman believes that Jones is more of a natural left fielder, so perhaps having Bellinger back at center helps improve the team's outfield defense.
Article Continues BelowBellinger was solid for the Yankees last season. He missed time due to a hamstring strain, but he still played in 132 games last season and finished with 17 home runs and 73 runs batted in. He had an OPS of .767, and his outfield defense rated above average, helping him finish the campaign with a 3.5 fWAR.
The 31-year-old signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract with the Yankees last offseason. He has an opt-out prior to the 2028 season, which, if he exercises, would have him leave three years and $77.5 million on the table.