Former National League MVP outfielder Cody Bellinger of the New York Yankees has declared his intention to opt out of his contract and become a free agent.

At the moment the Yankees’ season ended with a loss in the fourth game of the AL Division Series, it was widely anticipated that outfielder Cody Bellinger would opt out of his deal and explore free agency. According to various reports, he intends to follow the contract terms to exit early and gauge his worth in free agency.

Bellinger’s current contract is a three-year, $80 million deal signed with the Chicago Cubs in February 2024. After being traded to the Yankees following the 2024 season, he exercised his $27.5 million player option for 2025.

This season, Bellinger has performed impressively, batting .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs—his best numbers since winning the National League MVP in 2019. His overall value (fWAR) stands at 4.9, confirming he remains one of the league’s top outfielders. At 29 years old, he is at an ideal point to pursue his most lucrative contract yet. His strikeout rate of 13.7% and swing-and-miss rate of 0.181 are both personal bests this year.

Bellinger appeared in 152 games this season, accumulating 656 plate appearances—the highest single-season total for him since 2019—indicating he has maintained excellent physical condition.

Approaching his 30th birthday, Bellinger is in the prime of his career. Beyond his consistent hitting, he is a reliable defender across all three outfield positions and first base. Therefore, opting out of the $25 million player option for 2026 to pursue a longer and more lucrative contract in free agency is a sensible and strategic decision.

After the Yankees’ elimination, Bellinger said in an interview, “Wearing the Yankees uniform has been an incredible experience. Yankee Stadium, the fans, the team atmosphere—it’s all very special. I truly enjoyed my time playing here. It’s disappointing not to win the series because we had a very strong team.”

Currently, five Yankees players could become free agents during the offseason. Besides Bellinger’s expected opt-out, outfielder Trent Grisham, infielder Paul Goldschmidt, pitcher Luke Weaver, and reliever Devin Williams also have contracts set to expire.