The New York Yankees missed out on retaining the services of slugger Juan Soto in free agency, but they did hit on a nice consolation prize. On Tuesday, the Yankees traded for Chicago Cubs outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. New York also received $5 million in the deal, in which the Yankees sent right-handed pitcher Cody Poteet to Chicago.
While Soto is a generational talent, he’s not yet an MVP winner, unlike Bellinger. The 29-year-old claimed the 2019 National League MVP award while with the Los Angeles Dodgers, when he led the Senior Circuit in both total bases (351) and wins above replacement (8.6). In his eight MLB seasons, Bellinger is a two-time All-Star, a two-time Silver Slugger, was the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year, claimed one Gold Glove award, and won the 2020 World Series with the Dodgers.
