Despite securing Bichette, the New York Mets aggressively pursue star outfielder Cody Bellinger, battling rivals for his bat and defense.
The New York Mets are still pursuing the top outfield talent left on the free agent market after signing infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal on Friday, Will Sammon from The Athletic reported Sunday.
According to Sammon, New York is looking to add an outfielder who can comfortably play in center while offering support in the corners – and there’s no better available player to fill that exact need than Cody Bellinger. If they were to land the 30-year-old after the Bichette deal, however, it’s likely to be on a similar short-term deal as Sammon reported.
With Kyle Tucker off the market and on the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the Bellinger market has heated up exponentially. The main threat for the Mets in the Bellinger sweepstakes is their cross-town rival – the New York Yankees. The Yankees may be more likely to offer a longer contract to Bellinger, but his preference for a shorter or longer deal is unknown, Sammon wrote.
Bellinger had the second-best season of his nine-year career last season with the Yankees – at least according to his 5.1 WAR. At the plate, Bellinger smashed 29 home runs and drove in 98 runs with an OPS+ of 125. His final slash line for 2025 reads .272/.334/.480.
While having a phenomenal season at the plate, Bellinger also provided tremendous value on defense, finishing with seven outs above average. He played 149 games in the Yankees’ outfield last season, 41 of which were in center field. While he spent more time in the corners in 2025, Bellinger has logged 550 games at center in his career. His versatility and ability in the outfield make him a perfect fit for what the Mets are looking for.
Bellinger may be the ideal man to add to the thin Mets outfield, but it’s not New York’s only option. Sammon noted outfielders Harrison Bader, Lars Nootbaar, Jake Meyers, and Luis Robert Jr. as potential targets for the Mets if they miss out on Bellinger.
The current outfield in New York is held down by Juan Soto and Tyrone Taylor, a defensive specialist. Right field will be manned by Soto, but that leaves center field and left field questionable for a Mets team that wants to have a bounce-back 2026 campaign. Taylor is a good glove in center, but his 70 OPS+ last season doesn’t cut it at the plate.
Even if the Mets go with Taylor as an everyday outfielder in 2026, they still need at least one more to round out the depth chart. They’re continuing to pursue Bellinger even after the Bichette signing, but even if they’re unable to land their guy, there are plenty of backup options for President of Baseball Operations David Stearns and the Mets.