It wasn’t long ago the Yankees watched Juan Soto walk out the door, only to land in Queens wearing a Mets jersey. It stung, and not just for the fans. The front office scrambled to pivot, knowing they couldn’t leave Aaron Judge exposed in the lineup without a legitimate bat behind him. They made a calculated move to sign a former MVP with a Gold Glove and a chip on his shoulder.

That man is Cody Bellinger, and now, just a few months into his Bronx run, his name is suddenly surfacing in trade rumors. The Yankees, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, are “aggressively searching for a right-handed bat, preferably a third baseman, while also looking for another starter.” With limited expendable assets, Bellinger, along with recently revived closer Devin Williams, is being floated as bait in a possible blockbuster with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Let’s break it down. Bellinger is slashing .263/.329/.438 this season with solid defense and situational power. He’s not Soto, but he’s what the Yankees have, and he’s delivering. Williams, meanwhile, has rebounded from a nightmare start to post a 0.97 ERA over his last 11 games. As Nightengale notes: “He’s getting back to being the same dominant reliever he was in Milwaukee, permitting no more than one hit in his last 11 games, yielding a 0.97 ERA.” So why on earth would the Yankees trade both?

Because the return could include exactly what they need: Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm, who’s hitting .294 with clutch production and a controllable contract, plus veteran starter Taijuan Walker, who brings innings and experience. There’s also a chance top prospect Mick Abel enters the conversation, exactly the kind of high-upside arm Brian Cashman likes to poach in blockbuster deals.

The Phillies, meanwhile, get a proven postseason performer in Bellinger and a lights-out late-inning weapon in Williams. It’s the kind of gamble contenders make when they see an opening in a tightly contested NL East.

But here’s the catch: trading Bellinger now, with no Soto safety net and limited outfield depth, is a serious roll of the dice. The Yankees would be betting big that Bohm and Walker help them win now, and that someone else can fill Bellinger’s void in October.

This isn’t just smoke, it’s a real test of New York’s win-now identity. If the Yankees pull the trigger, it won’t just shift the AL East. It could tilt the postseason landscape entirely.

Yankees’ risky business: Why dealing Bellinger could backfire big

Let’s call it what it is: Trading Cody Bellinger now would be a massive gamble. This isn’t some underperforming placeholder; this is a guy brought in to stabilize the lineup after the Juan Soto fallout. He’s not just filling a gap, he’s been delivering. Bellinger’s power from the left side, paired with elite defense and postseason experience, gives the Yankees something few others can replicate: a big-game weapon who’s already proven he can handle the New York spotlight.

Take him out of the mix, and suddenly you’re not just down a bat, you’re inviting chaos into the lineup. Who protects Aaron Judge in the order? Who patrols center field in tight October games? The internal options are thin, and the outfield market isn’t exactly booming with impact replacements. Sure, Alec Bohm fills a need at third, and Taijuan Walker could stabilize the back end of the rotation, but are you fixing one leak by opening another? That’s the million-dollar question.

And let’s not ignore the timing. Bellinger hasn’t just started strong, he’s building momentum, both at the plate and in the clubhouse. He’s one of those glue guys. Moving him now might satisfy a short-term strategy on paper, but it could fracture team chemistry and weaken the Yankees’ October blueprint.

In a year already defined by urgency and thin margins, swapping out a proven postseason bat midseason is the kind of move that could haunt you when the lights are brightest.