As expected, New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger plans to opt out of his contract and become a free agent next month, a source told ESPN.

Bellinger, 30, has a $25 million player option for next season. After a rebound season in his first year in pinstripes, he presumably will receive widespread interest in free agency -- it should yield a lucrative multi-year contract.

The Yankees acquired Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs last December. For the Cubs, he was a salary dump days after they acquired Kyle Tucker .

For the Yankees, he was part of the swift pivot from Juan Soto . In the end, the 2019 NL MVP ended up being their second-most valuable player.

Hitting behind Aaron Judge most of the season, Bellinger batted .272 with 29 home runs and an .813 OPS in 152 games in

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