BELLINGER IS BACK & I'M HAPPY FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS OFFSEASON

Let’s get something straight right out of the gate: the Yankees didn’t just want to bring Cody Bellinger back—they had no choice. This wasn’t a luxury buy. This wasn’t a “nice addition.” This was a reputational bailout.

Yes, Bellinger improves the roster. Anyone pretending otherwise is either lying or staring at a depth chart through Yankee Stadium beer goggles. He fields. He hits. He lengthens the lineup. He gives you actual competence in multiple spots instead of duct tape and crossed fingers. That part is obvious. But the real reason this deal had to happen lives above the field, inside the front office, where this offseason went to die.

Because let’s not rewrite history here. The Yankees’ winter was a masterclass in doing a whole lot of nothing while pretending it was part of a grand plan. “Flexibility.” “Optionality.” “We like our internal options.” Every buzzword, zero urgency. It was like watching someone rearrange deck chairs and calling it naval engineering. The fanbase wasn’t restless—it was insulted.

If the Yankees failed to land Bellinger, the contingency plan was painfully transparent. Out comes the media blitz. Cue the glowing prospect packages. Spencer Jones suddenly becomes untouchable, generational, Babe Judge Mantle Jr., whether he was ready or not. Every YES segment turns into farm-system propaganda. The hope? That fans would get distracted by shiny future toys and forget the present was being neglected in real time.

It would be damage control at its best. But wow...the Yankees actually did the right thing today.

And to be clear: Cody Bellinger will help this team win. He brings balance to a lineup that’s been painfully one-dimensional. If they didn't sign him, there's no question there would be a hole, a void.

Now, would I still like a true top-of-the-rotation starter? Of course I would. Anyone with a pulse would. But baseball doesn’t work that way, and the Yankees already burned too much time playing chicken with the market. You don’t get everything you want when you spend months acting like you don’t want anything at all.

The Bellinger deal itself—five years, $162.5 million, opt-outs after years two and three, plus a $20 million signing bonus—is hefty. Is it perfect? No. Does Bellinger “deserve” every cent in a vacuum? Probably not. But this isn’t a vacuum. This is the modern MLB marketplace, where it was either the Yankees, the Mets, or the Dodgers—and standing still meant losing. Context matters.

And let’s not ignore the sentimental truth here. Bellinger’s roots matter. His father wore pinstripes. The Yankees still sell history better than anyone, and in this case, history helped close the deal in my opinion. Nostalgia isn’t everything—but when the money’s close, it still tips the scale.

So yes, I’m happy. Legitimately happy. For the first time this entire offseason, the Yankees front office acted like an organization that understands expectations. They didn’t hide. They didn’t spin. They didn’t punt. They signed the guy they needed to sign.

Now—before anyone gets carried away—this doesn’t mean all is forgiven. One good move doesn’t erase months of inertia, or years of stubborn thinking. It just means they passed a test they absolutely could not afford to fail.

Enjoy the moment. Celebrate it. And don’t worry—I’ll find a fresh reason to be mad at Brian Cashman tomorrow. That, unlike roster construction, remains perfectly consistent.