Yankees add Bellinger to off-season haul, send relief pitcher and cash to Cubs

First baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger was acquired by the New York Yankees from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday for right-hander Cody Poteet.

Chicago will send the Yankees $5 million US as part of the trade.

The 29-year-old Bellinger, whose father Clay helped the Yankees win World Series titles in 1999 and 2000, could play centre field next year as Aaron Judge returns to right following the departure of Juan Soto to the Mets. Bellinger also can play first base, a position that opened when Anthony Rizzo became a free agent.

The Yankees have also added starting pitcher Max Fried and former Milwaukee closer Devin Williams since losing out on Soto.

Bellinger is owed $27.5 million in 2025 under the first of two player options as part of an $80 million, three-year contract. The two-time all-star also has a $25 million player option for 2026 with a $5 million buyout that would be payable in equal installments on Jan. 15, 2026, and Jan. 15, 2027.

Bellinger batted .266 in 130 games this past season with 18 homers and 78 runs batted in. He was on the injured list from April 24 to May 7 with a broken right rib.

He drove in 33 runs in his last 39 games of the season, but Chicago finished with an 83-79 record.

Bellinger made his major league debut in 2017 and spent his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the National League MVP in 2019, batting .305 with 47 homers and 115 RBIs in 156 games. He also helped L.A. win the World Series in 2020.

He was cut by the Dodgers in November 2022 and signed a one-year, $17.5-million deal with Chicago a month later. He regained his form with the Cubs, hitting a career-best .307 with 26 homers, 97 RBI and 20 steals in 130 games last season year.

Bellinger is a .259 hitter with 196 homers and 597 RBI in 1,005 games. He turns 30 in July.

Poteet, 30, made his major league debut with Miami in 2021, had Tommy John surgery on Aug. 17, 2022, returned to the mound with Kansas City's triple-A Omaha farm team on Sept. 23, 2023, was released by the Royals and signed with the Yankees last January.

He went 3-0 with a 2.22 earned-run average in four starts and one relief appearance during a season in which he was sidelined between June 12 and Sept. 25 by a strained right triceps.

Tucker open to long-term deal with Cubs

Kyle Tucker played his first major league games at Wrigley Field when the Houston Astros visited the Chicago Cubs in April. It was cold, he said, and a lot of fun.

"Those fans love their Cubs," Tucker said. "That's kind of how it felt from, you know, the visiting side."

Now he will get to check it out from the home side.

The Cubs acquired Tucker in a trade last week, inserting the well-rounded star into a lineup in need of another dangerous bat. The right fielder was limited to 78 games this year because of a broken shin, but he still hit 23 homers and drove in 49 runs.

The price was considerable — third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and highly regarded prospect Cam Smith were shipped off to Houston — but Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer felt it was worth it. Even for a player who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

"We have a lot of really good players on the team. We're very balanced," Hoyer said Tuesday in his first public comments since the trade. "But it did feel like we lacked, that kind of, consolidation of [wins above replacement], I would say, on our roster in one player. And obviously Tucker is just one of the best players in baseball, period."

On the brink of free agency, Tucker said he is open to talks with Chicago on a long-term deal. Hoyer also indicated the team was interested while promising to keep those conversations between Tucker's camp and the organization.