One of the biggest potential moves of MLB free agency this offseason could just be across town, from the Bronx to Queens.
The New York Mets have been named the best free agent fit for a player who was a Yankees star in 2025.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield looked at Cody Bellinger’s free agency and felt his best landing spot would be the Mets.
“Bellinger surprisingly tops the list in 2025 WAR, although that doesn’t by any means suggest he’s going to get the biggest contract,” Schoenfield writes. “Indeed, although he offers positional versatility with his ability to play all three outfield positions as well as first base, teams will be skeptical of his 2025 numbers since he hit .302 with 18 home runs and a .909 OPS at Yankee Stadium with its short porch compared with .241 with 11 home runs and a .715 OPS on the road. Bellinger works for the Mets both in center field — heck, they were playing 33-year-old infielder Jeff McNeil out there at times — and at first, if they don’t re-sign Pete Alonso.”
As Schoenfield says, Bellinger really does have the potential to fill either of the Mets’ two biggest needs, centerfield or first base in a world after Alonso.
The lefty slugger has rebounded in recent years from what had been a shocking downturn with the Dodgers. He worked his way back to prominence with the Cubs, then joined the Yankees and hit even better.
Bellinger is still a great, athletic fielder who can play multiple positions, which can make him a fit for a lot of teams. But the Mets, after a disappointing fade to miss the postseason, could certainly use him.
Schoenfield lists the other potential fit for Bellinger as a return to the Yankees, but they’re quite crowded as younger players knock on the door of the majors, too.
Bellinger would certainly look good in some blue and orange.
