The Yankees still haven’t made up their minds between Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker, and according to recent reports, dragging this out could really hurt them. Reportedly, Bellinger, who slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 HRs, an .813 OPS, and strong defense in left, declined the $25 million qualifying offer. And it’s no surprise that plenty of teams would love to sign him. But for the Yankees, though, it’s not as simple as it sounds.

Their recent addition of Trent Grisham has also raised doubts about whether they’re willing to make another major move. And now, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, it seems the Yankees are in a delicate spot when it comes to trying to land Bellinger.

“According to Mark Feinsand of MLB, the Yankees are ‘the clear favorites’ to sign Cody Bellinger,” Fireside Yankees reported.

According to Feinsand, the Yankees and Bellinger are still an ideal fit. Why? Because Yankee Stadium plays right into Bellinger’s strengths… For example, his career .912 OPS in the Bronx shows his ability to move around the field, giving Aaron Boone more lineup flexibility.

Then the Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently said the team is “very interested” in bringing the former NL MVP back, and despite chatter about other teams like the Dodgers or Blue Jays getting involved, former Yankees hitting coach Sean Casey believes Bellinger’s heart is already in New York. “I know they want to bring back Bellinger, and I know Bellinger wants to be back with the Yankees,” Casey said.

So, even the Yankees insiders are confident about getting Bellinger back. And money also factors in… Bellinger’s projected $183 million deal looks far more manageable than Kyle Tucker’s potential $400 million price tag!

But Feinsand also pointed out the risk of waiting too long as the Mets could pull off another Juan Soto–style hijack. So, if talks stall between Bellinger and the Yankees, the Mets have the resources to strike and could try to poach a star from their rivals for the second straight offseason. With the possibility of losing Pete Alonso, they’re expected to be aggressive in adding another big bat.

As we said, the Yankees are in a delicate spot with Bellinger.

Increased competition for Tucker could also hurt the Yankees

Well, just like with Bellinger, the Yankees still haven’t made a call on whether they’re going to seriously pursue Kyle Tucker. And the longer they wait, the more teams jump into the mix. According to MLB insider Jeff Passan, the Blue Jays are the current favorites to land Tucker.

And it’s easy to see why there’s so much buzz around him.

Notably, Tucker has hit at least 22 HRs in each of the past five seasons, is a 4x All-Star, won a Gold Glove in 2022, and took home a Silver Slugger in 2023. He even finished fifth in AL MVP voting that year after driving in a league-leading 112 runs. Hence, he’s simply a more elite player than Bellinger, but with that comes a much bigger price tag.

So, if Toronto does end up getting Tucker, that would leave the Yankees with Bellinger as their main option. And even that wouldn’t be simple, given the Mets are lurking with plenty of money to spend.

Now, if the Yankees want Bellinger, they’ll have to move quickly to avoid another scenario like the one with Juan Soto slipping away.