“Great news, get the f*** out!” - Fans clamor for Kyle Tucker after Cody Bellinger opts out post-ALDS disappointment

The New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger is likely to test free agency this offseason again. Two years after signing a three-year, $80 million contract with the Chicago Cubs, he is exercising the opt-out clause available at the end of year two.

His imminent departure, set to be finalized after the World Series, hasn't been taken lightly by Yankees fans who are calling for the team to replace Bellinger with outfielder Kyle Tucker, who will be the marquee player this winter. Here are a few reactions:

"Great news...get the fk out," a Yankee fan said. "We don’t want him, we want Tucker," another fan said. "Spend the money on Tucker and a short stop," another fan opined. "Tucker over him but Hal might say no to both," another fan said. "Let him go. He’ll let us down again in October," a fan stated. "Let him go, get Tucker," a fan made their feelings known.

Cody Bellinger will receive a $5 million buyout, with half of the amount paid by the Yankees and the other half by the Cubs. This puts New York's bill at $27.5 million for Bellinger's 2025 season, where he delivered as the team's second-best player behind Aaron Judge with a 5.0 bWAR and 4.9 fWAR.

Bellinger hit at .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs, and had a high average of .302 at Yankee Stadium. He had the best left-handed hitter record in the league against left-handed pitching with a .415 On-Base Percentage and .601 Slugging Percentage, and proved to be a livewire in the outfield with only 3 errors all season in 342 chances.

Kyle Tucker, two years younger than Bellinger, ended the regular season with a .266 batting average with 73 RBIs, 25 stolen bases, and 22 home runs in 136 games. The outfielder was hitting at .291 till the end of June, but kept playing with a hairline fracture that hampered his stats before missing three weeks last month due to a calf strain.

Cody Bellinger could land a three-figure deal in free agency

The Toronto Blue Jays signed outfielder Anthony Santander, ahead of his age-30 season, to a $69 million deal last season. If Bellinger is kept in the same bracket of outfielders, he will want more, especially after a better season than Santander, which could skyrocket his value upwards of $100 million and potentially reach $150 million.

In 2023, Cody Bellinger was among the 'Boras Four' clients, including Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery, and Blake Snell, who were unable to sign long-term contracts. After signing the three-year contract, the 30-year-old had decided to take the player option available after the 2024 season, after which the Cubs decided to trade him.

Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy