Could Yankees and Mets go mano a mano for Cody Bellinger? | Klapisch

The pursuit for Cody Bellinger is poised to turn into a potential blood feud, now that Kyle Tucker, $240 million richer thanks to the Dodgers, is off the board.

But now it’s not just the Yankees who are courting Bellinger.

Add the Mets to the mix, along with the $220 million that owner Steve Cohen had earmarked for Tucker.

You bet the Yankees are paying attention.

The calculus radically changed Thursday night, when Tucker became the second-richest player (by average annual value) in MLB history. His four-year deal, with an AAV of $60 million, is beyond staggering.

Not only does it reinforce the Dodgers as the greatest financial monolith the sport has ever known, but they’ve turned the Yankees and now the Mets into also-rans who’ll have to compete for scraps.

That’s bad news for the Bombers, who were making slow but incremental progress with Bellinger this week. The club was holding firm at five years, $155 million, but had sweetened the pot with two opt-outs, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

Bellinger and agent Scott Boras were said to have softened their demand for $37 million per year. They’d moved closer to the Yankees’ number ($31 million per), but were still asking for a seven-year deal.

That’s where talks paused, although it’s possible further compromise was just around the corner. As one major league executive said Thursday, “(Boras) obviously needed Tucker to sign first.”

Another exec praised Boras for not caving.

“The man’s got (guts), you have to hand it to him,” the exec said. “The Yankees could’ve walked away. Or he could’ve just taken the Yankees’ offer and called it a day.”

Boras, instead, bought himself enough time to possibly pit the Yankees and Mets against each other. It’ll be a fascinating couple of weeks before spring training. The pursuit of Bellinger could resemble the scramble for Juan Soto in late 2024.

This time, however, Cohen is being driven more by desperation than the sheer pleasure of stealing a Yankees star. Cohen has already lost left fielder Brandon Nimmo, first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz.

The Mets need Bellinger to keep the off-season from turning into an outright disaster.

Bellinger would be the obvious rebound acquisition. If Cohen was able to offer Tucker $220 million over four years, it stands to reason he’ll overwhelm Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner in a bidding war.

The Yankees weren’t counting on an out-of-the-blue offer of seven years from another team or serious interest from Cohen in particular.

If the Yankees are forced to counter, they’ll have to deliver more than just additional cash or a longer commitment. They’ll need to present a bigger-picture assessment of New York’s two franchises.

They could ask Bellinger which team is more likely to take him to the World Series.

The Mets, who’ll somehow have to get past the Dodgers? Or the Yankees, who reached the 2025 American League Championship Series but lost to the Blue Jays?

The Mets, whose rotation is in tatters? Who just lost one of the game’s best closers (Diaz) to those same Dodgers?

Or the Yankees, who can offer familiarity with the franchise, a role as one of the clubhouse leaders along with Aaron Judge, and a home run-friendly short porch in right field?

Those are compelling arguments. Then again, the Bombers thought they had an airtight sales pitch for Soto a little over a year ago. And look how that turned out.

Soto, like Bellinger, is represented by Boras, who doesn’t traffic in loyalty or sentiment. Cash is the only currency that matters to Boras, which is why the Yankees shouldn’t feel too comfortable today.

*Promising scouting report on Ryan Weathers – and a red flag

General manager Brian Cashman deserves a thumbs-up for the acquisition of Weathers, the Marlins’ lefty with a power arm and high upside.

The son of former Yankees hurler David Weathers checks plenty of boxes, including his age (26), contract status (three years of team control) and a swing-and-miss arsenal powered by a fastball that’s been clocked at close to 100 mph.

Weathers is exactly what the Yankees need while they wait for injured starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt to rejoin the rotation. Assuming all three recuperate fully, Weathers could help in the bullpen.

But he’s injury-prone and has yet to throw 100 innings in a season. The problem was most acute in 2025, when Weathers totaled just 38 1/3 innings. He suffered a strained left lat and a left flexor strain.

Of the two, the flexor is the more concerning condition. Tendons generally heal more slowly than muscles or ligaments. And flexor injuries have a nasty habit of recurring. Just ask Jonathan Loáisiga or Nestor Cortes.

Full tears can be career-enders. Surgery is successful only 75 percent of the time.

The Yankees will keep a close eye on Weathers, but the best safety net would be a deal for Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, who is currently being pursued by the Bombers.

*The Ballot:

With the Hall of Fame set to announce the Class of 2026, here’s how I voted:

Carlos Beltrán, Félix Hernández, Andruw Jones, Andy Pettitte, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel.

A full breakdown of the ballot will come after the announcement on Tuesday.

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