The Yankees signed Cody Bellinger in their attempts to fill the Juan Soto-shaped void. While there was initial scepticism around his ability to effectively replace Soto, he proved the doubters wrong with an exceptional season. In 152 games, the 30-year-old outfielder hit .272 with 29 home runs and an .813 OPS. But after the Yankees’ loss to the Blue Jays in the ALDS, speculation about Bellinger’s future is gaining a lot of traction.

In 2025, Bellinger gave the Yankees exactly what they needed. His performance against left-handed pitchers was especially impressive; he had the highest on-base percentage (.415) and slugging percentage (.601) of all left-handed hitters against left-handed pitchers. Bellinger played behind Aaron Judge for most of the season, giving the Yankees’ lineup the protection and consistency it needed. The 2019 NL MVP showed that he still had the top-level skills that made him one of baseball’s biggest stars in the past. But now, he might not stick around for long.

As per ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Bellinger plans to leave his contract and try free agency this winter. Brian Cashman and the front office are in a tough spot right now because they have to find a new player to replace their second-most valuable player after a season that ended in heartbreak against the Blue Jays.

Following the Yankees’ Division Series loss, Bellinger addressed his future candidly. “I’d absolutely welcome the opportunity to return to the Bronx,” he told reporters. The comment hinted that he might stay, but his choice not to take the $25 million player option shows that he is looking for a better multi-year deal.

The New York Yankees got Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs last December in what was basically a salary dump for Chicago. This happened just days after they got Kyle Tucker. Bellinger had the option to leave his three-year, $80 million contract after the first and second seasons, and he chose to look for other options.

The loss in the World Series still hurts the whole organization. Despite putting together a team that could compete for a title, the Yankees couldn’t reach their goal of winning the championship. Losing Bellinger makes that disappointment even worse, and Cashman now has a lot of holes to fill before 2026.

The New York Yankees’ season ended in division series heartbreak

It’s even more disappointing when you think about how the Yankees’ season really ended. The Blue Jays beat New York in the Division Series, 5-2, at Yankee Stadium, which gave them their first ALCS spot since 2016.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer drove in runs, and eight different Blue Jays pitchers kept the Yankees’ offense from scoring all night. Nathan Lukes hit a single that brought in two runs and broke the game open. Rookie Addison Barger had three hits. Toronto’s disciplined at-bats and constant plate appearances wore down New York’s pitching staff. Manager John Schneider praised his team’s ability to come back from the collapse of their last game, saying it was because of their good at-bats, solid defense, and deep bullpen.

Afterward, Guerrero talked to reporters about how much the team wanted this moment and how Toronto had bigger plans for the future. The Blue Jays got 12 hits, and their pitching plan worked perfectly. Chris Bassitt started the game, and seven relievers finished it off, shutting down the Yankees’ lineup.

Toronto moved on to the ALCS, which started Sunday at Rogers Centre. They will play either Detroit or Seattle. The Yankees’ early exit showed weaknesses in the organization that Bellinger’s departure makes even worse as the offseason approaches.