Baseball is officially over in New York; both the Yankees and Mets have been eliminated from the MLB playoffs. That means it’s time for both franchises to think about what lies ahead in the offense.
With the recent news of Yankees’ star Cody Bellinger opting out of his contract with the Yankees, the pressure is now on the Yankees to re-sign him. Bellinger is set to be a free agent and hit the open market.
Bellinger has been an offensive force for whichever team he has been on over the last few years. He was traded to the Yankees this past offseason and provided them with strong defensive versatility and a power bat.
New York Mets linked to Cody Bellinger
How crazy would it be if the Yankees lose another one of their premier sluggers to the Mets in back-to-back seasons? After the case of Juan Soto last offseason, Yankees fans’ guard should be up.
In a recent Bleacher Report article, writer Joel Reuter named the New York Mets a potential suitor for Cody Bellinger:
“With Starling Marte and Cedric Mullins both headed for free agency, the Mets have a hole to fill in the outfield, unless they want to continue using Jeff McNeil in the grass.”
New York are going to be eager to spend this offseason after a disappointing end to 2025 left them out of the MLB playoffs. Owner Steve Cohen has also shown a willingness to open up the checkbook. It also makes sense because the Mets’ outfield looks rather thin right now, and could use a defensive presence like Bellinger.
The current options include Juan Soto, who patrols right field, and then Tyrone Taylor in center. That is assuming Cedric Mullins and Starling Marte leave in free agency, but Mullins was acquired in a trade back in July, and considered a rental addition anyway. The Mets may also be trying to fill a void at first base if they are unable to retain Pete Alonso in free agency. Cody Bellinger serves as a good fallback option.
Bellinger has been an above-average hitter for the past three seasons with the Chicago Cubs and Yankees.
How would losing Cody Bellinger impact the Yankees?
Cody Bellinger was everything the Yankees could have asked for and more this season. His OPS+ was 125 in 152 games. He also smashed 29 home runs, drove in 98 runs, and scored 89 runs.
For the Yankees, this would be another brutal player to lose in free agency. Fellow outfielder Trent Grisham is also set to be a free agent, and if the Yankees aren’t willing to commit to a multi-year contract to him, he could likely be gone as well.
Bellinger can play all three outfield spots and even fill in at first base if needed. The 30-year-old has the highest bWAR (5.0) in his career since 2019, when he won the NL MVP with 8.7 wins above replacement.
Either way, Bellinger’s free agency sweepstakes will be one of the bigger storylines to follow this MLB offseason, and whoever adds him will be adding a great deal of value to their organization.
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