The New York Yankees go into the offseason at risk of losing a key contributor, Cody Bellinger. The star slugger opted out of his contract and is putting himself on the open market over the winter.
That would be quite the player for the Yankees to lose, especially after the season he just had. He only missed 10 games during the regular season, hitting .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 runs batted in.
Bellinger will certainly have quite a few teams making him their top priority. His ability to play first base and the outfield gives him a slight edge over other free-agent players who are handcuffed to just one position.
One player the Bronx Bombers could turn to to lessen the sting of potentially losing Cody Bellinger is Kazuma Okamoto. He will be posted by the Yomiuri Giants this winter after spending the last 11 seasons in the NPB.
Okamoto is a well-decorated slugger who can play first base, third base, and the outfield. During his time in Japan, he was a six-time All-Star, three-time Central League home run leader, and two-time Central League RBI leader.
His bat could play well, but manager Aaron Boone will also enjoy his ability to play multiple positions. MLB's Mark Feinsand believes the Yankees could be a great fit here.
Outside of the Yankees, Feinsand points to the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets as other potential suitors. However, you can almost guarantee that more than these three teams will be interested in acquiring this slugger.