Cody Bellinger is on the move as the Chicago Cubs have traded him to the New York Yankees. Since losing out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, Brian Cashman has been aggressive as he also has signed Max Fried and traded for Devin Williams. While the Bellinger trade is intriguing, it also coincidentally mirrors the framework of a potential trade involving the Milwaukee Brewers.
Cody Bellinger was traded to the New York Yankees
In what looks to be a major fleece of a deal, the New York Yankees have acquired Cody Bellinger and cash from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for 30 year old pitcher Cody Poteet. The Yankees will receive $5 million in total with half of that going towards his 2025 salary and the other half either towards his 2026 contract buyout (player option) or his 2026 salary if he doesn’t opt out.
The framework of this Cody Bellinger trade closely mirrors one possible Milwaukee Brewers trade
This off-season, the Brewers have reportedly been open to the idea of trading Rhys Hoskins. However, Ken Rosenthal recently reported that in order to pull this off Milwaukee would likely have to chip in cash and a prospect. While not identical, this closely mirrors what the Chicago Cubs had to do in order to part ways with Cody Bellinger.
Should the Milwaukee Brewers trade Rhys Hoskins?
The alternative to Milwaukee not trading Rhys Hoskins is to retain him and hope for a bounce-back season. Regardless of his performance, it’s unlikely that both sides will agree to the $18 million mutual option for 2026, as such options are rarely exercised by both parties. Currently, the Brewers are committed to paying him at least $22 million ($18 million 2025 salary plus a $4 million buyout for 2026). After seeing what the Cubs had to do to trade Cody Bellinger, it may be in the Brewers’ best interest to let Hoskins play out his final year with the team.
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