The Cubs have seemingly been trying to trade first baseman/outfielder for weeks, with the Yankees the club most often connected to Bellinger. Recent reports have suggested that the two clubs have been facing a gap in negotiations, however. It was over the weekend by Jon Heyman of The New York Post that the Yankees were considering various alternatives, which was echoed this afternoon by . Heymans report from the weekend suggested that the Yankees were considering trade candidates like of the Guardians and of the Rangers, as well as free agents , or . Nightengales framing is similar, saying that the Yankees are engaged with those three free agents as well as . Those free agents will all come with very different price points, mostly due to age. Alonso is easily the youngest at 30 years old. Walker will turn 34 in March, Goldschmidt is 37 and Santana turns 39 in April. At the start of the offseason, Alonso for a five-year, $125MM deal, with Walker at $60MM over three years and Goldschmidt projected for $15MM on a one-year pact. Santana wasnt mentioned after signing with the Twins for $5.25MM via a one-year deal last winter, though he could earn a raise after a strong 2024 season. The Yankees still have several moving pieces in their offseason, so their first base move will come in conjunction with moves elsewhere. They also need a left fielder and one more infielder, likely a third baseman with moving to second base, though adding at Reggie Bullock Jersey the keystone is also a po sibility. Further bullpen moves could also be considered while the rotation arguably still has a surplus, even after the Yanks got for and . For those various openings, they have been connected to guys like , , , Bellinger and others, as well as these various first base candidates. How much they spend on one spot could naturally have an impact on how much they spend on another. currently projects the club for a payroll of $245MM next year, while they were in the $300MM range in 2024. Goldschmidt will likely be relatively affordable compared to Alonso or Walker, at least in terms of contract length. Given his age and recent downturn in performance, hes likely looking at a one-year deal. He won National League Most Valuable Player in 2022 by hitting 35 home runs and slashing .317/.404/.578 for a 175 wRC+, but hes fallen off since. Last year, it was 25 home runs, a .268/.363/.447 batting line and 122 wRC+. In 2024, he hit 22 homers with a .245/.302/.414 slash and 100 wRC+, indicating he was exactly league average at the plate for the year. Apart from his rookie debut in 2011, his walk and strikeout rates were both career worsts in 2024, coming in at 7.2% and 26.5% respectively. Given his age, those could be taken as signs of the start of a decline, though theres perhaps some optimism to be found in his strong finish. He produced a line of .230/.291/.373 and an 87 wRC+ in the first half of 2024, then a .271/.319/.480 line and 120 wRC+ in the latter half. Either way, he shouldnt be able to secure a ma sive payday this winter, but theres also more risk with him than with someone like Alonso or Walker. The Yankees will presumably be weighing all these different options as they decide where to put their resources. Theres nothing to say that they cant get Bellinger and a free agent first baseman, as Bellinger could be slotted into left field, though the Yanks have other options there if they cant line up with the Cubs on a trade. Bernard King Jersey