Yankees' Rumored Cody Bellinger Replacement is Nightmare Fuel

The New York Yankees are currently locked in a holding pattern with Cody Bellinger, who is evidently asking for a mountain of cash in free agency.

Bellinger is a Scott Boras client, so it's no surprise that his market has stalled. Boras clients have signed very late in the offseason in the past (Bellinger himself re-upped with the Chicago Cubs in February 2024), so the Yankees may have to start looking elsewhere.

There is only so long New York can wait for Bellinger, who was good — not great — in 2025.

But who could the Yanks land to replace the former NL MVP?

We have heard the Yankees linked to Austin Hays as a potential fit, which makes sense given he mashes lefties and could comprise a fine platoon partner with Jasson Dominguez in left field.

Now, though, another far less appealing name has surfaced as a potential candidate for New York: Philadelphia Phillies outcast Nick Castellanos.

Castellanos is entering the final year of a five-year, $100 million contract he signed with Phillies, and Philadelphia is begging teams to take him off its hands.

The 33-year-old is due $20 million in 2026, which follows a miserable 2025 campaign in which he alienated himself in the Phillies' locker room while slashing .250/.294/.400 over 589 plate appearances. And did I mention he is one of the worst defensive players in baseball?

There is a small faction that views Castellanos as a possible rebound candidate, but he will be 34 by time the season starts and has really been declining for several years.

Yes, there was a time when the Hialeah, Fl. native was a good bat, but that was many moons ago. And realistically speaking, he has never been much of an on-base guy, owning a lifetime .321 OBP.

Now that Castellanos' power numbers have plummeted (he posted a .150 ISO in 2025), he really doesn't offer much use at this stage of his career.

To be perfectly honest, the Yankees would probably be better off rolling with Dominguez and Spencer Jones in left field than bringing Castellanos aboard. And if New York does genuinely pursue Castellanos? Well, that isn't exactly a ringing endorsement for Jones.

The Castellanos rumors do seem more like fan conjecture rather than anything concrete, but the Yanks shouldn't even be considering going down this road.