The New York Mets were linked to Chicago Cubs star slugger Cody Bellinger all throughout the 2023-24 MLB offseason, and are once again with more than two weeks remaining in the 2024 regular season.
Bellinger could become a free agent again in the winter after finalizing a three-year, $80 million deal with the Cubs back on Feb. 27 that has opt-outs built in for his first and second years. The Cubs (73-70) are in the midst of a winning 2024 campaign, as they own the No. 2 seed in the NL Central. However, they trail the Mets (78-65) by five games in the race for the sixth and final Wild Card spot in the National League.
Mets could have a shot to land Cubs potential FA Cody Bellinger in 2025
Thus, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter envisioned Bellinger in New York with the Mets to start the 2025 season, saying this (h/t Aaliyan Mohammed of The Sporting News):
“The Mets are expected to make a run at Juan Soto in free agency, but if they miss out on signing him, Cody Bellinger could be a logical fallback plan,” wrote Reuter. “That is, of course, if he opts out of the final two years of his current contract with the Chicago Cubs for another run at free agency.”
The Mets could improve their offense and defense by signing Bellinger
The 29-year-old has played fairly well in 2024. He currently has 15 home runs, 58 runs, and 60 RBIs alongside nine stolen bases, while slashing .265/.326/.422. He has not been as efficient at the plate as he was in his 2023 NL Comeback Player of the Year outing which earned him his second Silver Slugger award for his career, but is still a player who can produce at a pace of at least 80-20-80 in the three major hitting categories along with double-digit steals if he plays a full 162-game schedule.
That also does not touch on the effect that playing in a new environment could have on Bellinger. The last time that was the case was in that same 2023 campaign, after he made the move from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Cubs, and the proof was in the pudding. The Mets have a talented veteran roster that does need more help to elevate them back into World Series contention, even with their 9-1 record over their last 10 games.
Mets owner Steve Cohen has the deep pockets to match his willingness to go after the game’s biggest talents in pursuit of addressing that need. Bellinger surely won’t come at as steep a price tag as New York Yankees superstar Soto, but he’d help the Mets at the plate and on defense, where he owns a .994 fielding percentage, having only committed one error between first base and the outfield on the year, regardless of how much it would take to acquire his services.
