According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, the Mets are “very in” on free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger. The nine-year veteran, who won the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year Award and 2019 NL MVP Award, spent last
season in the Bronx with the Yankees, who remain interested in retaining him as well.
Bellinger finished last season with a 4.9 fWAR, his second-best in a season. He posted a .272/.334/.480 slash line with 25 doubles, 29 homers, 98 runs batted in 89 runs scored, and a 125 wRC+ in 152 games played. Notably, he also enjoyed his best season in terms of K% with a career-best 13.7% K% (he was 91st percentile in K% and 84th percentile in Whiff%). On top of his offensive prowess, he is a strong defensive left fielder, finishing 2025 with 5 Outs Above Average. He was 93rd percentile in OAA, 91st percentile in Arm Value, and 83rd percentile in Arm Strength in 2025. He also has some experience at first base and center field in his career, offering the type of flexibility that David Stearns covets.
While Feinsand did not go into specifics on the Mets’ interests, it’s fair to say that their interest is likely dependent on the type of deal Bellinger commands. He is believed to be looking for a long-term deal, but if he takes a shorter-term, higher-AAV contract, that would play well into the Mets’ plans. Feinsand does mention that should Bellinger return to the Yankees (as he seemed to suggest is likely), Alex Bregman would be an ideal fit for the Mets. This would allow the Mets to station the defensively-strong Bregman at third and move Mark Vientos or Brett Baty to first. While he didn’t discount the possibility, he sees it as unlikely that the Mets land both Bregman and Bellinger.
