Latest huge Yankees rumor is sure to fire up bat-hungry Royals fans

If anything is certain about the Kansas City Royals this winter, it's that general manager J.J. Picollo's long, but so far unfruitful, quest to lure a big-impact bat to Kauffman Stadium will continue. Whether Picollo finally hits paydirt remains to be seen — after all, the free agent and trade markets don't open until after the World Series ends — but Picollo's search promises to be the focus of Royals fans starving for a boost at the plate.

Already, speculation throughout baseball media has swirled about Mike Yastrzemski and whether Picollo should, or should not, try to bring him back to the Royals. And Angels outfielder Taylor Ward continues to crop up in almost any discussion about KC's offense.

Now, another big name is destined to set Kansas City fans abuzz — ESPN's Jorge Castillo recently reported that outfielder Cody Bellinger "plans" to leave the Yankees by opting out of his current contract.

But will the Royals jump into the free agent fray for Bellinger's services if he does, indeed, decide to leave The Bronx just a year after New York traded Cody Poteet to the Cubs to get him? Or will they concede the market to richer teams?

Why Cody Bellinger makes sense for the Royals

The salary he'll command aside (more on that in a moment), Bellinger could certainly end Picollo's search with a bang. A veteran big leaguer whose age — he'll turn 31 next season — isn't yet working against him, Bellinger wields the kind of proven bat the Royals need. He slugged 29 homers, drove in 98 runs, and posted a 125 wRC+ and 4.9 fWAR for New York this season, and his .334 OBP matched his nine-year career mark. He's also averaging 25 home runs per season.

There are, however, the two disappointing seasons with which he closed out his otherwise impressive six-year run with the Dodgers before leaving for free agency and the Cubs following the 2022 campaign. Bellinger slumped to an aggregate .193/.256/.355 line with 29 homers in the 239 games he played across the 2021 and 2022 seasons; yes, a broken rib and calf and hamstring issues hampered him in 2021, but those numbers nevertheless mar his LA years.

The major awards he's collected evidence his overall body of good major league work. Named the National League's Most Valuable Player for 2019, Bellinger also owns two Silver Sluggers and a Gold Glove, and bounced back from those two subpar Dodger seasons by winning the 2023 NL Comeback Player of the Year award after slashing .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers and 97 RBI in his first season with the Cubs.

His major league bona fides speak for themselves and should raise Picollo's curiosity to a high level.

Is Cody Bellinger a realistic fit for the Royals?

Statistically and performance-wise, yes. But that he could be a game-changer in Kansas City doesn't mean he'll seriously consider the Royals — or they him.

What it comes down to is, of course, money. Bellinger just completed the second year of a three-year deal scheduled to net him $80 million if he doesn't opt out. His reported willingness to forego the $25 million he's due for 2026 suggests he's confident of reaping more than that in free agency.

And therein lies the Royal rub. Although the franchise has demonstrated a willingness to spend more money under principal owner John Sherman than it typically did when the Glass Family owned it — take, for example, the club-record mega-deal Bobby Witt Jr. signed before the 2024 season and the then-franchise record contract Salvador Perez entered into three years before that — Bellinger may still prove too rich for the organization's blood.

On the table for Sherman's consideration as Picollo hunts for ways to improve the Royals are several issues carrying potentially significant fiscal impact. Should he sign off on big contract extensions for key players like Vinnie Pasquantino, Maikel Garcia, Kris Bubic, and perhaps even Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone? Does Picollo have his eyes on free agents who could solve the Royals' problems at the plate, and possibly elsewhere, but will require major investments?

Sherman hasn't committed publicly to significantly increasing his team's payroll for 2026. But it seems doubtful that he'll authorize throwing tons of cash at Bellinger at the expense of disturbing what could be a Royals core for many years to come. Don't look, then, for Kansas City to take a serious run at Bellinger.