The New York Mets are starting to put together a fairly strong offseason, especially after two key moves this past week. The Mets traded for centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. on Tuesday night and signed top free agent infielder Bo Bichette to a $126 million contract late last week.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Cody Bellinger is signing with the New York Yankees on a five-year, $162.5 million deal with opt-outs after the second and third years. The Scott Boras client plays the market perfectly, gets Bellinger opt-outs that both sides likely wanted, and he stays in the Bronx. What does this move mean for the Mets? Well, it will be interesting to see what they offered Cody Bellinger and how close they were to making a deal.
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Cody Bellinger Staying in the Bronx
This is a huge signing for the New York Yankees, as they had been falling behind in the MLB hot stove arms race. The Mets were the second-closest linked team to Bellinger, but in the MLB offseason, if you aren’t first, you’re last, and Bellinger ultimately decided he wanted to stay in pinstripes.
For what it’s worth, Bellinger looked very comfortable with the Yankees this season. He enjoyed his third-straight season being an above-average hitter, and hit 29 home runs in 2025 with 98 RBIs, a .279 average, and 160 hits. He is a two-time All-Star, NL MVP, Rookie of the Year, and 2X Silver Slugger award winner.
GettyMets get final decision on Cody Bellinger.
The reason the Mets wanted Bellinger so bad is because of their glaring need in the outfield, and given Bellinger’s defensive versatility and power prowess.
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What’s Next for the New York Mets?
The Mets made a somewhat shocking move to sign Bo Bichette, so now that the best free agents are off the board, the Mets were able to land one of them among Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette, and Kyle Tucker.
Now, David Stearns and the rest of the front office will turn their attention to the starting pitcher market, where there are still plenty of options. The Mets will likely remain linked to all the starting pitchers on the free agent market, and it’s fair to start discussing the Mets as having one of the better offseasons across MLB if they can land an arm like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, or Chris Bassitt.
With the addition of Luis Robert Jr., the Mets had to part ways with Luisangel Acuna and a prospect, but their outfield looks a little better on paper. It’s still unknown how productive Robert Jr. will be, considering he’s coming off two below-average seasons in terms of OPS+.
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Mets Get Final Cody Bellinger Decision After Luis Robert Jr. Trade