There are reasons the Yankees might not win the bidding for Cody Bellinger, who will command a lot of money for a player the Dodgers did not tender a contract just a few years ago because he ranked among the worst hitters in the game.
There are reasons the Yankees might not extend a qualifying offer to and/or retain Trent Grisham, a career .218 hitter who is coming off a career year that might not prove repeatable.
Those reasons grow a bit weaker with a glance at the crop of free agent center fielders.
The best options on the market are the options the Yankees risk losing from last year’s club. Apart from Bellinger and Grisham, the top free agent center fielders are expected to be Harrison Bader, Cedric Mullins and perhaps Lane Thomas — none of whom would be an upgrade and all of whom are at best complementary.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
