It seemed inevitable Cody Bellinger would be wearing a different uniform on opening day after the Chicago Cubs acquired right fielder Kyle Tucker to create a crowded outfield.
Less than three hours after the team introduced Tucker during a video news conference Tuesday afternoon, the Cubs traded Bellinger to the New York Yankees for right-hander Cody Poteet, sources confirmed to the Tribune.
As part of the deal, the Cubs reportedly will send $2.5 million each of the next two years to the Yankees to help pay for Bellinger’s contract, which includes the $27.5 million player option he exercised for 2025 and a $25 million player option for 2026 with a $5 million buyout.
Bellinger, 29, joins the organization for which his father, Clay, spent three big-league seasons and won two World Series titles. After Cody Bellinger played at Yankee Stadium in 2023 for the first time in his major-league career, he said his connection to the Yankees organization — and his dad — had followed him through his rise to stardom.
“People still call me Clay all the time,” an amused Bellinger told the Tribune in June. “Like, come on, man, he’s retired! But it’s funny.”
The deal makes sense for both sides, with the Yankees’ interest in Bellinger this offseason preceding the Juan Soto sweepstakes. A source told the Tribune the Yankees would have pursued Bellinger even if Soto had re-signed with the team instead of going across town to the Mets.
For the Cubs, the trade moves payroll from an area of depth in the outfield that can be reallocated to address other roster needs.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer didn’t want to delve Tuesday into specific ripple effects of whether someone such as Bellinger or Seiya Suzuki could be moved after Tucker’s acquisition, though Hoyer hinted at something being done to address the logjam.
“We definitely have some surplus there,” Hoyer said of the outfield. “We have a lot of good players, trying to figure out how those fit together, so that’s certainly something we’ll discuss over the next little bit.
“I don’t want to talk about the availability or possibility of any individual player, but, yeah, certainly with those guys all potentially playing the same positions, what you’re asking makes some sense.”
Poteet, 30, gives the Cubs much-needed flexibility, with the right-hander able to fill a swing role while having two minor-league options remaining. He missed most of 2023 because of Tommy John surgery, pitching in only one game at Triple A, then posted a 2.22 ERA last season in five games (four starts) with the Yankees and a 3.92 ERA in 10 starts at Triple A.
Poteet works with a five-pitch mix featuring a four-seam fastball that sits at 93 mph and works at the top of the zone. He also throws a sinker with good late action, changeup, sweeper and curveball.
