Grade the Trade: Cody Bellinger and Juan Soto would be traded for a top NYY prospect in a Yankees-Cubs blockbuster.

The New York Yankees offseason hinges on where Juan Soto decides to sign and for how much. Soto is priority 1-1,000 for Brian Cashman and Co., and they’re unlikely to make any significant moves until they know whether they’ll be able to slot the 26-year-old superstar into the middle of their lineup next season and for many more seasons to come.

But even if Soto does opt to return to the Bronx, that will be just the first (very big) step in a critical offseason. New York will still have several holes to fill, including a first baseman, another corner outfielder and a second baseman to replace the departing Anthony Rizzo, Alex Verdugo and Gleyber Torres, respectively.

It just so happens that the Chicago Cubs might have a couple players available who fit just such a description. Recent reports suggest that the team was taken aback and a little put off by Cody Bellinger’s decision to opt in to his contract for the 2025 season, and could be looking to move off of the $27.5 million he’s owed this year in order to free up some payroll flexibility. Second baseman Nico Hoerner could also be on the trade block, as top infield prospect Matt Shaw is banging on the door to the Majors following a sensational cameo at Triple-A to end the year.

So you can understand how Emmanuel Berbari of SNY’s Baseball Night in New York came up with the following trade. What’s more confusing is exactly why he thought the Cubs would agree to it.

From the Yankees’ perspective, this one is pretty straight-forward. The team had some interest in Bellinger before he signed with the Cubs last offseason, and it’s easy to see why: Bellinger’s swing is seemingly tailor-made for the short porch at Yankee Stadium, and while he’s not the outfield defender he once was, he’s still more than capable of playing left field — and proved to be an excellent first baseman in Chicago after a knee injury forced him to the infield. The outfield market is awfully thin this winter, and acquiring Bellinger could hold more appeal than outbidding teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves for Teoscar Hernandez or Anthony Santander.