The New York Mets could steal another player from the New York Yankees again for the second straight offseason.
New York signed Juan Soto away from the Yankees last offseason, and now, this season, could turn their attention to Cody Bellinger. Bellinger is one of the top free agents available, and ESPN MLB insider David Schoenfield named the Mets as the best fit for the slugger.
“Bellinger surprisingly tops the list in 2025 WAR, although that doesn’t by any means suggest he’s going to get the biggest contract,” Schoenfield wrote. “Indeed, although he offers positional versatility with his ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base, teams will be skeptical of his 2025 numbers since he hit .302 with 18 home runs and a .909 OPS at Yankee Stadium with its short porch compared with .241 with 11 home runs and a .715 OPS on the road.
“Bellinger works for the Mets both in center field — heck, they were playing 33-year-old infielder Jeff McNeil out there at times — and at first, if they don’t re-sign Pete Alonso.”
Bellinger completed his three-year, $80 million deal with the Yankees and will have several teams after him. With the Mets, he can play anywhere in the outfield and add more power to the middle of the lineup.
Bellinger hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs this season with the Yankees.
Bellinger Expected to Have His ‘Best Market’ Ever
After a solid season with the Yankees, Bellinger is expected to cash in this offseason.
The slugger gives teams positional versatility in the outfield and a star power hitter in the lineup. Ahead of the offseason, one AL executive said he expects this to be the best market Bellinger has ever had in his career.
“This should be the best market he’s had,” said an American League executive to MLB.com. “He was a real difference-maker for the Yankees this season.”
An NL executive, meanwhile, said Bellinger has answered a lot of questions teams had this past year.
“I do think he will get a more substantial guarantee than the last few years,” an NL executive said. “He’s proved he can stay healthy, he’s still on the younger side, and he’s an athlete who can legitimately play multiple spots.”
Bellinger is a two-time All-Star and was the NL MVP in 2019.
Mets Owner Apologizes for Disappointing Season
New York had a disappointing 2025 MLB season as the Mets failed to make the playoffs.
The Mets had expectations to compete for a World Series, but that wasn’t the case. After the year, Mets owner Steve Cohen apologized to the fans for the year.
“Mets fans everywhere. I owe you an apology,” Cohen wrote on X. “You did your part by showing up and supporting the team. We didn’t do our part, we will do a post-mortem and figure out the obvious and less obvious reasons why the team didn’t perform up to your and my expectations.
“We are all feeling raw emotions today. I know how much time and effort you have put into this team. The result was unacceptable. Your emotions tell me how much you care and continues to motivate the organization to do better. Thank You to the best fans in sports.”
MLB free agency is set to begin on Nov. 6.
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