The New York Mets have been heavily involved in the ongoing chase for Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, however, a notable New York baseball insider believes as the Cody Bellinger market stagnates, the Mets could be a possible destination for the one-time MVP.
While there were rumblings that the Mets could be more conservative in their approach to free agency this month, the organization has been quite active. They signed former Yankees ace Luis Severino, are reportedly linked to a pursuit of six-time All-Star JD Martinez, and are in the thick of the Yamamoto chase.
However, heading into the offseason, improving their outfield was seen by many as one of their priorities. The expectation would be that if the organization did add an outfielder it would be a low-cost option, but New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman thinks the Mets should not be ruled out as a potential destination for the two-time All-Star Cody Bellinger.
Could the New York Mets jump into the Cody Bellinger chase?
“Could the Mets be a Bellinger [suitor]? They are certainly looking for an outfielder,” Heyman said during a live stream for Bleacher Report on Tuesday. “It does seem like they are more looking for a right-hand hitting outfielder and seem to be willing to move [Brandon] Nimmo to at least play some left field instead of centerfield, as he did last year. So, maybe the Mets could be a spot for Bellinger.”
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Heyman is speculating based on what he is hearing around the league and he also suggested other teams like the Giants, Mariners, and Angels could be options for the former Dodgers star. However, he also recently reported that Bellinger’s asking price is reportedly around $200 million and it has significantly slowed down his market.
- Cody Bellinger stats (2023): .307 AVG, .356 OBP, .525 SLG, 26 HR, 97 RBI, 95 R
That large asking price could be an opening for the wealthy Mets if they decided he was a good fit for them long-term and were willing to match that number. The veteran outfielder is viewed as the top everyday player left in the free-agent market.
