The New York Yankees have already had a busy offseason, trading for Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger, signing Max Fried, and losing Juan Soto to the Mets. The Yankees’ offseason isn’t finished, though, as they still need to acquire a first baseman to take Anthony Rizzo’s spot, who is probably not going to be retained in free agency.
Former Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker is among the names the Yankees have been linked to, but they will have to continue searching elsewhere since Walker agreed to a three-year contract with the Houston Astros on Friday. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the transaction is worth $60 million.
Although the Yankees may decide to start Bellinger at first base, they must first continue to monitor players like Pete Alonso and Carlos Santana. Getting Alonso would at least help the cross-town Mets regain some of their momentum, and they are apparently interested in both.
Bellinger has won an MVP award, two All-Star selections, two Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove, and a World Series ring, which speaks volumes about how much superior Cody is. In contrast, Poteet has only appeared in 24 MLB games and hasn’t received any noteworthy individual honors. In 2022, when he was beginning to establish himself as a swingman with the Miami Marlins, Poteet had Tommy John surgery. In just four starts and one relief appearance in the Bronx, he went 3-0 with 2.22 ERA, 1.068 WHIP, and 0.9 WAR after making his comeback to the major leagues in 2024.
Bellinger batting.266 with 18 home runs, 78 RBI, nine stolen bases, a.751 OPS, and 2.2 WAR in 130 games for the Cubs in 2024. However, earlier in December, the Cubs acquired Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, making the former Los Angeles Dodgers star expendable in Chicago.
Although it won’t be the Cody they had in 2023 and 2024, the Cubs will still have him on the roster going into 2025. With his 2001 debut with the San Francisco Giants, Cody Ransom became the first Cody in Major League Baseball history. To date, Cody has been the name of twenty-five major league players.
