Yankees counting on key factor in Cody Bellinger sweepstakes | Klapisch

NEW YORK — Each year that the Yankees get eliminated from the playoffs — which has happened 12 times since their last World Series — the front office moves on in the first 24 hours. There’s no grieving at the water cooler. Executives leave the post-mortems to social media.

But judging by the reactions, this time might be different. They’re still shocked at how efficiently the Blue Jays exposed the flaws general manager Brian Cashman worked so hard to correct at the trade deadline.

The 2025 Yankees werebetter on defense (thanks to Ryan McMahon and Cody Bellinger) and on offense (even without Juan Soto). The bullpen had more weapons. The starting rotation was upgraded despite the loss of Gerrit Cole.

Yet, as one Yankee elder said, “(The Blue Jays) just beat us. You want to be pissed about it, but the truth is they just beat us.”

The offseason machinery will kick into gear soon enough, but several key issues and what-ifs remain:

The Cody Bellinger File

I spoke to the slugger for a few minutes after the AL Division Series was over, seeking clues about his future. The only certainty is that Bellinger will opt out of his contract. The rest is unknown.

Do the Yankees have a special place in Bellinger’s heart? Or will he instead be looking for the market’s last dollar?

The fact that Bellinger is represented by killer agent Scott Boras suggests the truth is behind Door No. 2. It’s for that reason that people close to owner Hal Steinbrenner believe he’ll ultimately let Bellinger hit free agency.

Boras, after all, is all about the money. By extension, his clients are too.

After being drawn into a fruitless bidding war last winter with Soto and losing out to the Mets at the 11th hour, Steinbrenner will likely be averse to being used by Boras a second time.

For his part, Bellinger would only say, “There are discussions to be had” with his family.

It remains to be seen whether Bellinger’s feelings about life in pinstripes can override Boras’ hunger for the highest bidder.

But there’s one factor that could weigh in the Yankees’ favor: The looming work stoppage that might cancel the 2027 season.

With the Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring after 2026, the players and owners are digging in for the mother of all labor wars.

The likelihood of baseball not being played is so high that one major league executive said, “It’s going to affect free agency like you wouldn’t believe.”

The logic behind that statement is uncomplicated: Hunkered-down owners aren’t going to invest in an unstable industry. That could, theoretically, depress Bellinger’s leverage as he and Boras seek a long-term contract.

That possibility, coupled with Bellinger’s connection with captain Aaron Judge, the New York fans and his family history (his dad played with the Yankees), could be enough to put Steinbrenner first in line among suitors.

Landing Bellinger under these circumstances would be quite a coup for the Yankees, who need Bellinger’s all-around athleticism and his ability to deliver in the clutch.

Bellinger’s .348 average with runners in scoring position this season led the team – eight points higher than even Judge.

The counter to the Bellinger-stays scenario is that a) Boras somehow overheats the market (he always does) b) Steinbrener says no thanks and c) Bellinger heads out of town.

That would mean saying hello to the Spencer Jones era on 161st Street.

What was Aaron Boone thinking?

A number of readers believe the manager deserves some slack despite another October flameout.

Roster construction, after all, is Cashman’s domain, not Boone’s. It was the GM’s call to leave the Yankees without a second power hitter from the right side.

Put it this way: The Bombers will be dealing with Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet for years. They need more than just Giancarlo Stanton to offset Crochet’s 100-mph fastball from the left side.

But Boone wasn’t blameless in the Yankees’ demise in Game 4 against Toronto. He made two critical mistakes that cost the Bombers dearly.

The first was choosing not to pinch-hit for Anthony Volpe in the bottom of the seventh inning with a runner on first.

The Yankees were trailing 3-1. Not only was it poor judgment to let Volpe bat, it was a pre-ordained strikeout.

The shortstop looked lost throughout the Division Series, whiffing in 11 of his 15 at-bats. This one was no different, as Volpe was wiped out in four pitches.

But Boone wasn’t through. He proceeded to pinch-hit Amed Rosario for McMahon, presumably because of the lefty-lefty match-up against Brendon Little.

But that didn’t bother McMahon earlier in the game, when he took southpaw Mason Fluharty deep in the third inning. McMahon’s reward for that home run was getting removed from the game when he represented the tying run.

Speaking of flawed logic

Why on earth did Austin Wells swing at the first pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth?

Jays closer Jeff Hoffman, who led the American League in home runs allowed by a reliever, had just walked Ben Rice, setting the stage for Wells to be the hero.

But instead of working the count against a wobbly Hoffman, Wells let him off the hook. His impatience resulted in a soft fly ball to left and an end to the rally, inning, and essentially the season.

The Kings of Contact

The Yankees never fully recovered from the shock of seeing Max Fried knocked out in the fourth inning of Game 2. That was their first hint of a coming disaster.

Hint No. 2 was Toronto’s ability to make contact. Not even Cam Schlittler, who’d struck out 12 against Boston in the Wild Card Series, could overpower Toronto in Game 4.

In the ALDS clincher, the Jays saw 55 two-strike pitches in the season-ender, whiffing only six times.

Schlittler was taken aback.

“It was like, foul ball, foul ball, weak contact, soft base hit,” he said. “They were tough, it was hard to get them to swing and miss.”

“(Schlittler) has special stuff,” said pitcher Carlos Rodón. “He’s a 10-plus K-per-nine-innings guy probably the rest of his career. If he stays healthy, maybe 11.

“So you tip your caps (to the Blue Jays) because of the at-bats they put together.”

A final thought

Despite a breakout power performance at the plate (34 home runs) and glorious defense in center field, it’s worth remembering that Trent Grisham batted just .235 this season and was only 2-for-17 in the ALDS.

He’s a career .218 hitter.

The Yankees will need Grisham back in 2026 if Bellinger bolts, but there’s no reason to believe he’ll ever hit for a meaningful average.

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