NEW YORK (AP) — Cody Bellinger and the New York Yankees finalized a $162.5 million, five-year contract on Monday that keeps the slugger in pinstripes.
Bellinger became the last of the top free-agent hitters to reach a deal this offseason when the sides agreed to terms last Wednesday, subject to a successful physical. He gets a $20 million signing bonus, half payable April 1 and the remainder on Aug. 1, and a full no-trade provision.
He receives a $32.5 million salary in each of the first two seasons, $25.8 million in the next two and $25.9 million in 2030.
Bellinger has the right to opt out after the 2027 or 2028 seasons to become a free agent again, but if there is a work stoppage that leads to no games being played in 2027, the agreement specifies the opt outs will shift to after the 2028 and 2029 seasons.
A two-time All-Star acquired by the Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in December 2024, Bellinger hit .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs last year — including .302 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at Yankee Stadium. A left-handed hitter, he played 149 games in the outfield and seven at first base in his first season since 2022 without a stint on the injured list.
He is a son of former Yankees player Clay Bellinger.
Voted the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year and 2019 NL MVP, Bellinger has a .261 career batting average with 225 homers and 695 RBIs in eight seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2018-22), the Cubs (2023-24) and the Yankees.
He earned $57.5 million from the $80 million, three-year contract he reached with the Cubs before the 2024 season. Bellinger declined a $25 million option for 2026 in favor of a $5 million buyout.
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FILE - New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. special forces soldier pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he used classified information about the mission to capture former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to win more than $400,000 on the prediction market Polymarket.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, 38, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court after he was charged with the unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud and making an unlawful monetary transaction.
He was released on $250,000 bail and his travel was restricted to portions of New York, North Carolina, California and points necessary to travel between.
Prosecutors said evidence in the case will include information resulting from grand jury subpoenas, cryptocurrency exchange records, search warrants and social media accounts.
Defense attorney Zach Intrater told Judge Margaret M. Garnett he doubts there will be many disputes arising from “the actual event,” but suspects the case will rise and fall on motions he will make on behalf of his client.
The judge ordered Van Dyke to return to court on June 8 for a pretrial conference.
The case comes during heavy scrutiny on prediction markets, which allow people to trade or wager on almost anything, as policymakers call for stricter regulation of the platforms amid concerns about insider trading.
The Trump administration has been supportive of the prediction market industry’s expansion. The president’s eldest son is an adviser for both Polymarket and its main competitor, Kalshi, and he is a Polymarket investor. Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social, is launching its own prediction market called Truth Predict.
Prosecutors said Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Maduro's capture and had signed nondisclosure agreements centered on the operations, but he eventually placed a series of bets related to Maduro being out of power by Jan. 31.
According to a criminal complaint, the bets totaling $33,000 were placed over a three-day period and resulted in “more than $404,000 of profits.”
Polymarket, one of the largest prediction markets, flagged the suspicious activity and turned it over to the government, according to CEO Shayne Coplan.
Van Dyke, who is stationed at Fort Bragg near Fayetteville, North Carolina, was granted bond after a court hearing in North Carolina last week and will continue his case in New York. He was represented in court by attorney Zach Intrater.
Gannon Ken Van Dyke walks with his attorneys near a federal court building in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Gannon Ken Van Dyke walks with his attorneys near a federal court building in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a soldier who is charged with using his access to classified information about the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January to win money on Polymarket, walks near a federal court building in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a soldier who is charged with using his access to classified information about the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January to win money on Polymarket, walks near a federal court building in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Gannon Ken Van Dyke, right, walks with his attorneys near a federal court building in New York on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
A phone displays sports trades on Polymarket on Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
