YANKEES FACE $260M CODY BELLINGER DILEMMA AS SCOTT BORAS PLAYS HARDBALL AGAIN
Will the Yankees cave to Cody Bellinger’s massive price tag? Inside the negotiations that could define the Bronx Bombers' 2026 season.
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The Yankees want Cody Bellinger back; no secret there. But if that doesn’t happen, they’ve got their eyes on Bo Bichette as plan B. Still, bringing in Bichette comes with all kinds of headaches. Honestly, it’s risky. Meanwhile, let’s check out three Yankees who look ready to smash their 2026 projections.
This offseason has turned into a waiting game for the Yankees. Scott Boras is doing his usual thing, pushing Bellinger’s price into the stratosphere. Seven years, nearly $260 million? That’s treating Bellinger like he’s an MVP every season, and his career just doesn’t back that up. He’s streaky, and there’s always the risk he slides backwards. Sure, Yankee Stadium could boost his numbers, but shelling out almost $40 million a year for a guy who needs the right park to thrive? That’s a bet that could go south fast.
Then there’s the backup plan—Bo Bichette. On paper, paying $300 million for Bichette means you’re betting on him staying a top-tier shortstop for years. But the numbers say he’s not as reliable on defence as people think, and he might not even stick at short. Plus, with Anthony Volpe locked in at shortstop, adding Bichette would just create a mess. Someone like Jazz Chisholm gets squeezed out, and the team loses that athletic vibe they’ve been building. Bottom line: the Yankees need to show some restraint. Overpaying out of panic shuts championship windows quietly but quickly.
Three Yankees Ready to Blow Past 2026 Projections
Steamer’s 2026 projections see the Yankees as good but not quite there yet. Still, three guys could beat those numbers. First up, Ryan McMahon. He didn’t wow anyone last season, but dig a little deeper—better exit velocity, more barrels, and he’s hitting the ball in the air to his pull side more often. If the Yankees use him right, keeping him away from tough lefties, McMahon could quietly turn into a key bat at the bottom of the lineup.
On the pitching side, Will Warren’s projections look kind of meh, but there’s more upside than people think. He’s sharpened his fastball, and if he gets his secondary pitches working, he could follow the same path as other Yankee pitchers who took off after some tweaks. The boldest pick is Ben Rice. The projections predict a step back, but forget that. Rice hits the ball hard, doesn’t chase much, and his platoon splits aren’t a big problem. Give him a full season at first base, and he could get close to MVP levels.
Ben Rice Is Changing Everything
Rice has honestly flipped the script for the Yankees. In his first full year, he put up big numbers while splitting time between catcher and first, ending with a 133 wRC+—that’s elite company. With five years of team control left, the Yankees suddenly have a cheap star just as payroll is getting tighter.
The deeper numbers love Rice even more. He’s near the top in expected slugging, hard-hit rate, and exit velocity, but his batting average tanked because of some ridiculous defensive luck against him. Add in his great eye and low strikeout rate for a power hitter, and you’ve got a rare building block. Even if his glove at first is just okay, his bat is enough to make him a star. Once that luck evens out, Rice could be right in the MVP mix, all while giving the Yankees a ton of value.
RAIDERS PLACE RECEIVER JUSTIN SHORTER ON IR; SIGN HOOSIERS STAR BRADY
With Justin Shorter on IR, discover how new signing Jonathan Brady fits into the Raiders' wide receiver youth movement for 2026.
The Raiders aren’t sitting still; rookie minicamp just started, and they're already shuffling the roster. Right now, some veteran players are basically on borrowed time as the team leans hard into getting younger.
Take Justin Shorter. He’s been in Vegas since 2024 but hasn’t caught a pass in an actual NFL game. Well, his spot just got even more shaky. The Raiders put him on the Reserve/Injured list, which, let’s be real, is never a good sign this early in the offseason. Usually, that sort of move means a buyout could be next so he can test free agency.
There’s a steady influx of young receivers competing for spots, so it’s tough to see Shorter making his way back, even if he heals up. To fill his spot, the team signed Jonathan Brady, a receiver out of Indiana.
Nobody’s really sure what kind of injury Shorter has. If it’s serious, maybe he sticks around and rehabs with the team. If not, we might see him try his luck somewhere else.
As for the Raiders’ wide receiver group, the youth movement is real. Wide receiver was a big need heading into the offseason, but they didn’t do much outside of signing Jalen Nailor and drafting Malik Benson in the sixth round.
Vincent Bonsignore from the California Post pointed out that the Raiders might still look to add more receivers if the current group doesn’t step up. He basically said that the early rounds of the draft went to bigger needs, and now guys like Bech and Thornton Jr. have a chance to prove the team doesn’t have to keep looking elsewhere. But don’t expect the Raiders to hesitate if things look shaky.
Now, about that passing game, it was rough last season. The Raiders finished in the bottom five. But with Klint Kubiak calling plays and Fernando Mendoza hopefully taking over for Geno Smith, things honestly should get better. If Kirk Cousins ends up starting, he’s probably an upgrade, too. And bringing in Tyler Linderbaum at centre will only help.
Chances are, the Raiders will use an early pick on a receiver in next year’s draft. Even though they have a rookie quarterback waiting in the wings, they didn’t spend big at receiver this offseason. Maybe that’s because they don’t expect him to start right away. Who knows. For now, the wide receiver group looks decent enough to get by.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
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