The New York Mets‘ trade Sunday night could have a direct impact on whether the New York Yankees can re-sign Cody Bellinger.
Yankees GM Brian Cashman has said signing Bellinger is the top priority this offseason, but they could have company with the Mets and Los Angeles Angels — along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and others — reportedly interested in signing the free agent outfielder.
The Mets offloaded outfielder Brandon Nimmo in a 1-for-1 deal for Marcus Semien with the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Semien is a second baseman who slashed just .230/.305/.364 last year, but his arrival creates a second hole in the Mets’ outfield alongside right fielder Juan Soto.
The Angels also made a trade over the weekend that could supercharge their interest in Bellinger too by dealing Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles.
Bellinger hit .272/.334/.480 for the Yankees with 29 homers and 98 RBIs in 152 games in 2024
The Mets Have Money To Spend and Outfield Holes To Fill
Yankees fans must know by now that aggressive Mets owner Steve Cohen will stop at nothing, financially, to put a winning club on the field. He and president of baseball operations David Stearns, of course, outbid the Yanks for Soto a year ago and could be in line to go 2 for 2 with Bellinger this year.
The Nimmo trade opened the everyday left field position, and the Mets also have a hole in center field — vacated by Cedric Mullins‘ impending free agent departure. Bellinger can, of course, play both center and left, as Yankees fans discovered in his lone season in the Bronx — though he is primarily considered a corner outfielder at this point in his career.
Bellinger had been a National League player his whole career before the Chicago Cubs traded him to the Yankees. He won the 2019 NL MVP as a member of the Dodgers and had a 7.0 WAR in his two seasons with the Cubs.
Still, it’s hard to imagine Bellinger joining the Mets over the Yankees — since Bellinger has Yankees ties dating back to his dad Clay’s tenure in the Bronx — unless the Mets absolutely blow the Yankees’ offer out of the water.
The Angels Have An Outfield Spot To Fill and May Want To Make A Splash
The Angels appear to be dealing this offseason. They offloaded Ward, who hit 36 homers in 2024, to acquire Orioles ace Grayson Rodriguez — in a deal that should make Yankees fans ecstatic based on his 3.18 ERA in three career starts against New York.
But by trading Ward, the Angels opened up an outfield position alongside Mike Trout — assuming the three-time AL MVP is available to play the outfield again. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Angels have “checked in on Bellinger” in hopes of him playing center field every day in 2026.
Bellinger had his most productive seasons in Southern California, but the Angels are considered less of a threat to sign Bellinger — who is a consensus top-10 free agent in this offseason class — due to how far they are from the postseason.
The Angels haven’t reached the postseason since 2014 and have finished with a sub-.500 record in nine straight seasons.
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