"He plays it cool but deep down he is excited" - Cody Bellinger opens up on how father Clay reacted to him joining Yankees

The New York Yankees made another significant splash this offseason by landing Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs. The Bronx Bombers sent veteran reliever Cody Poteet to Chicago to secure the former National League MVP.

Bellinger fills multiple needs that the Yankees have following the departure of superstar free agent Juan Soto. Bellinger might not be on the same level as Soto, but he is a multi-time All-Star who will provide his new team with defensive versatility. Even though the move is an exciting one for fans, it is even more special for the Bellinger family.

Cody's father Clay Bellinger played four seasons in the Majors, three with the New York Yankees. During that stretch, Clay helped the club win two World Series titles, something that his son will be looking to do as well.

In an interview with SNY on Thursday, Bellinger spoke about his father and the feeling of following in his footsteps with the Yankees. Cody said that his father played it "cool" and explained that he knew it meant a lot to him.

"It is truly wild," Bellinger said. "When I got the news I called him and he was very excited. He plays it all cool but I know deep down that he's really excited."

For Cody, it is a homecoming. Despite being born in Arizona, he grew up in New York and has fond memories of that time. The fact that things have come full circle and he can don the Yankees pinstripes is special and unique.

"We lived in Upstate growing up," Bellinger said. "I grew up with the Pettittes, growing up in that kid's room. I have some very solid memories of it, my parents did a really good job bringing the camcorder around."

Cody Bellinger's defensive versatility should help Aaron Boone keep him in the lineup

Despite struggling with consistency at times, Bellinger has been a force at the plate throughout his career with the LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. A power-hitting left-handed bat is something that the New York Yankees were looking for; however, most of his value might come from his defensive versatility.

The two-time All-Star can play all over the outfield, as well as first base. This is something that Yankees manager Aaron Boone can use to his advantage when it comes to setting the daily lineup. This will also allow him to move Bellinger around the diamond while also keeping his valuable bat in the lineup. Bellinger is arguably the ideal target for the Yankees this offseason.