The New York Yankees have offered a $150 million contract, but signing Cody Bellinger back has become difficult in their evaluation.

The New York Yankees, inactive in major offseason moves, had been reported aiming to bring back outfielder Cody Bellinger. Yet, following several proposals and a contract offer around five years for $150 million, the team’s evaluation has reached an impasse, preventing them from re-signing Bellinger and shifting focus to alternative targets.

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic recently reported that the Yankees have made several offers to Bellinger in recent weeks, with annual salaries exceeding $30 million. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Buster Olney stated today that the Yankees proposed a five-year contract averaging at least $30 million per year, a deal close in value to Pete Alonso’s five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles and Kyle Schwarber’s five-year, $150 million agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies.

However, Olney noted in his report that the Yankees currently believe Bellinger is likely to sign with another team, and based on this assumption, they have begun exploring other reinforcement strategies.

Last offseason, the Yankees faced a similar situation — initially targeting the return of outfielder Juan Soto, but after Soto chose to join the New York Mets, the team quickly implemented a “Plan B” by acquiring players such as Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt through trades.

Previously, New York Post reporter Jon Heyman mentioned that if the Yankees fail to sign Bellinger, their alternative might be another free-agent outfielder, Kyle Tucker. Recent reports also suggest the Yankees could be interested in Bo Bichette, with rumors even circulating about potential interest in Alex Bregman.