Make Bellinger The Priority, The Rest Will Follow

Yankees fans aren’t just waiting for Cody Bellinger — they’re practically standing on the Bronx sidewalks holding cardboard signs that say “COME HOME, CODY.” Let me rephrase that with the appropriate urgency:

I want Cody Bellinger back. It’s non-negotiable. Essential. Mandatory. Life-support-level important.

But will we actually get him? Cashman opened his mouth and, in classic Cashman form, somehow managed to talk for a full minute while revealing absolutely nothing.

His quote (courtesy of the New York Post) boiled down to:

“Like anything else, there are certain salary levels that we’ll tag out at… That’s yet to be determined. But we’ve driven hard to get things done at times. We’ve driven hard and still not gotten things done because the markets … they go on and on and on and places you never expected. So you just don’t know how free agency’s going to work. So that’s why it’s so important for me to do what I’m always doing — what all GMs are doing — which is engaging your fellow GMs and the agents.”

Translation: The man said a whole paragraph and not one useful sentence.

Still, there’s no getting around it — Bellinger matters to this team. And no, we do not need Kyle Tucker. We don’t need to overthink this. Bellinger checks every box: pop in the bat, athleticism, defensive versatility, actual vibes, and the uncanny ability to look like he just rolled out of bed and still hit 29 bombs with 98 RBIs in his first season here. He played all three outfield spots, filled in at first base, and made it all look easy.

But of course… the Boras Factor.

According to NJ.com, Yankee ownership is preparing for a marathon negotiation with Scott Boras, which sounds about as fun as a root canal performed by a raccoon. One executive (whose team isn’t even in on Bellinger) put it perfectly:

“When you negotiate with Scott, you’re not in control. You’re just flying in his plane, hoping he doesn’t land you in a cornfield.”

And honestly? Same. I cannot stand Boras. If you watched the A-Rod documentary, you saw how he practically took a baseball icon and ran his career into a wall. The man negotiates like he’s trying to buy Monaco, not get a player a contract.

This is why I keep thinking:

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if Bellinger just pulled Boras aside and said, “Look, I like New York. My dad played here. This all fits. Don’t turn this into a sci-fi saga”?

Sure would.

And it’s not like Bellinger has been shy about liking the Yankees. He called the team fun, praised the clubhouse, and said wearing the uniform was “unbelievable.” He basically waved a neon sign that read I Wouldn’t Mind Staying.

So what happens now? Time — and Boras’s mood swings — will decide. But the Yankees would be foolish not to prioritize this. If Cashman can somehow avoid tripping over his own shoelaces and actually bring Bellinger back on a reasonable deal, the rest of the offseason could click right into place. Including the top-tier starting pitcher they desperately need.

And while we’re at it… if someone could please locate a shortstop who isn’t the human migraine known as Volpe?

Yeah. I’ll take that too.