Yankees, Mets’ mad dash for Cody Bellinger almost has Dodgers fans feeling bad

There’s a certain kind of calm that only comes from already getting your guy. And that’s where Dodgers fans are sitting right now, watching the Yankees and Mets turn Cody Bellinger into the offseason’s most frantic game of chicken.

The Yankees want Bellinger back, but they don’t want to be the team holding the bag in years six and seven if the back half gets too weird. So instead of just giving him the seven-year commitment he’s reportedly looking for, New York’s trying to bridge the gap with creativity: a five-year offer in the neighborhood of $155 million, plus not one but two opt-outs, a big signing bonus, and no deferrals. 

Dodgers fans can’t ignore the anxious Cody Bellinger chaos playing out in New York

This is exactly the kind of contract gymnastics teams pull when they need a player more than they want to admit.

Lately, two opt-outs have generally been the equivalent of a billboard saying the team is terrified you’ll either be amazing and leave — or get hurt and stay.

Meanwhile, the Mets hovering over the situation is the most predictable twist imaginable. They just lost out on Kyle Tucker — quickly turned into thieves by plucking Bo Bichette away from the Phillies — and now that the top of the market is drying up, everybody starts staring at the next best bat like it’s the last package of water bottles at Costco. 

From the Dodgers’ side, it’s hard not to feel a tiny bit of sympathy. This is what it looks like when you’re trying to buy certainty in January and the market keeps laughing at you.

Also, it’s Cody Bellinger. The profile is always going to be complicated. The injuries are real, the down years are brutal, and the rebound is why he’s in this spot again. The Yankees just watched him put up a strong season in the Bronx (.272/.334/.480 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs), which is basically the perfect “pay me now” angle. 

Dodgers fans deserve to laugh. Because the Dodgers don’t have to participate in this particular stress anymore. They’ve already stepped off the ride and taken a seat with their popcorn. 

But for everyone else? The Bellinger chase is starting to look less like a plan and more like a pressure test. And the teams that fail it usually don’t get a do-over until next winter.