Despite rumors to the contrary, the New York Yankees haven't settled on center field as Cody Bellinger's position after acquiring him from the Chicago Cubs.

Speaking to reporters during Max Fried's introductory press conference on Wednesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone called reports that Bellinger will be their starter in center "fake news."

Center, left field and first base are all options for Bellinger.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported after the trade on Tuesday that Bellinger was told he would be playing in center field, moving Aaron Judge back to his normal spot in right.

It seemed like a strange move to immediately put Bellinger in center. That is an unsettled position for the Yankees going into 2025, but top prospect Jasson Domínguez is poised for a regular role now that he is healthy following an injury-plagued 2024 that limited him to 76 games between the minors and majors.

The Yankees could also use Domínguez in left field, slotting Bellinger in at center. Bellinger isn't a great defender in center field at this stage of his career, but he's not so bad that it would be embarrassing to have him out there.

General manager Brian Cashman still has to make at least one more move this offseason to fill out the roster. Bellinger's versatility gives the team options, but they will need either another outfielder or first baseman.

The Yankees have been connected to the top four remaining free-agent first basemen—Christian Walker, Pete Alonso, Carlos Santana and Paul Goldschmidt. If they sign one of them, Bellinger will likely be a permanent fixture in the outfield.

Regardless of what position Bellinger settles in at, the key is the Yankees added a much-needed boost to their lineup after losing Juan Soto. He alone won't replicate the production Soto provided last season, but pairing him with someone like Walker or Alonso would at least get them closer to where they were in 2024.

Bellinger hit .266/.325/.426 with 18 homers in 130 games for the Cubs last season. His 18 homers would have ranked fourth on the 2024 Yankees, behind only Aaron Judge (58), Soto (41) and Giancarlo Stanton (27).