There were plenty of reasons why the New York Yankees led baseball in homers and OPS this past season, but outfielder Cody Bellinger was one of the main ones. The former NL MVP was tied for third on the team (min. 100 games played) with an .813 OPS, fourth with 29 home runs, and second with 98 RBIs over 152 contests.
The Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs in December 2024 for relief pitcher Cody Poteet, but he’s now an unrestricted free agent after declining his $25 million player option for 2026 on Nov. 3. They must make a long-term commitment to retain the 30-year-old, as his market value is six years, $182.6 million ($30.4 million average annual salary), per Spotrac.
New York general manager Brian Cashman revealed his thoughts about the situation on Wednesday, per SNY.
“We’re very interested in bringing him back,” he said. “Obviously now that he’s a free agent, he’s gonna have a lot of choices, ’cause he can do a lot of different things. He was a terrific addition for us last year, played a big role in the amount of success we wound up having. We’d certainly love to have him come back to us.”
“Where discussions with us [are] as well as with others, because [Bellinger’s agent] Scott Boras is out having the conversations as he always would, remain to be seen,” he said. “We’d be better served if we could retain him, but if not, we’ll have to look at alternative … But it’s pretty early in the process …”
While re-signing Bellinger to create a long-term outfield partnership with superstar Aaron Judge would be a productive move for New York, it could also pivot to fellow free agent Kyle Tucker. The four-time All-Star slashed .266/.377/.464 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs over 136 games for the Chicago Cubs in 2025, and he could also utilize Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field from the left side of the plate just like Bellinger.
Tucker is a year and a half younger, but he also might be more expensive. The two-time Silver Slugger’s market value is 10 years, $401.7 million ($40.2 million average annual salary), per Spotrac.
Another option is to avoid both players and focus on Trent Grisham, for whom the Yankees extended a qualifying offer (one year, $22.05 million) on Thursday. The 29-year-old’s market value if he declines that offer is just four years, $48.2 million ($12.1 million average annual salary).
While that path is the cheapest, it’s also the riskiest. Grisham broke out with an .811 OPS as well as 34 homers and 74 RBIs over 143 games in 2025, but he had a sub-.200 batting average in each of his previous three seasons and never previously had more than 17 homers in a year across his career.
The decision will come down to how much money New York wants to spend to secure long-term outfield help.
Artemi Panarin is beginning to shake off his early season struggles.
With a newly shaven head, the star Russian wing has posted nine points — three goals and six assists — in the last four games after assisting on four goals in the Rangers’ 7-3 win over the Lightning on Wednesday night at Benchmark International Arena.
Just like that, Panarin leads the Rangers in points (16).
“I think when he’s at his best, the puck follows him around,” head coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday after an optional morning skate. “He finds a way to have it a lot. I thought the last game he had it a lot. There are probably a number of reasons for that, but that’s what the game looks like when he’s at his best. I think he’s a threat off the rush. I think he has an uncanny ability to delay or slow the play down and allow the rush to go by him and then create opportunity. I think he’s getting better as far as supporting the play in the offensive zone. We’re trying to encourage him to be a little bit closer to his linemates, and I think he’s doing a better job there.
“I thought his line had more offensive zone time. I think that line has the ability to create offense in a number of different ways. They’re going to be dangerous off the rush because they’re talented, but they can build that grind game and they can be dangerous there also, because they’re talented. But that takes collective effort there, and that’s where we’re trying to help them. But I thought the line in general had a strong game last game.”
Artemi Panarin battles Jake Guentzel for the puck during the Rangers’ 7-3 blowout road win over the Lightning on Nov. 12, 2025.
Despite looking rather disconnected through the first few weeks of the season, Panarin has collected four multipoint games through the first 18 contests — including one three-point game and two four-point efforts.
The Rangers have a record ofare 4-0 every time Panarin has collected multiple points in a game this season.
“My confidence [is] OK now,” Panarin said after his two-goal effort on Monday against the Predators. “Better than before.”
Igor Shesterkin saved 33 of the 36 shots he faced in his sixth win of the season.
In a move he said was largely due to matchups, Sullivan shifted Will Cuylle up to play with J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad toward the end of the second period and through the third.
“[Lightning coach Jon Cooper] wanted that match with [Nikita] Kucherov, [Jake] Guentzel and Brayden Point,” Sullivan said. “We just felt like that’s a tall task for a young kid [Gabe Perreault] that hasn’t played a whole lot in the league. If that was going to be the match, we thought it made more sense to have a guy like Will play with J.T. and Mika in that circumstance. Some of it was just based on the feel of the game, but some of it was just from a matchup strategy standpoint.”
The Rangers signed Spencer Martin to a two-year contract Wednesday before putting the 30-year-old goalie on waivers. If he clears, Martin will be assigned to Hartford.
Appearing in nine games for the Hurricanes last season, Martin posted a 3-4-1 record with an .846 save percentage and a 3.89 goals-against average.