Cody Bellinger makes too much sense for the NY Mets, but it doesn’t change one fact

In the aftermath of the New York Mets giving themselves a makeover, a frequent guest in the “what should they do next?” storyline is Cody Bellinger. An outstanding defensive player last season in the corners for the New York Yankees and even someone they used regularly in center field, his ability to play some first base adds to the intrigue.

Bellinger fits into three positions the Mets would like to upgrade. Either in center field or a corner spot or even first base (but mostly just a corner spot), there is plenty of room and rationale for signing Bellinger. The Mets will have to go out of their comfort zone with a deal extending beyond 3 years. In terms of fit, there is little to debate. He’ll play about half of next season at age 30 and offers a nice mix of power, average, and defense.

You might not like pivoting to Bellinger over beloved Mets players like Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo. In fact, you’d be wrong to think this is the solution. One fact makes him feel less than perfect.

Cody Bellinger always made sense for the Mets, even with Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso sticking around

It would have been simple. Keep things in place and bring Bellinger in to join the fray. Apparently not. And understandably so. You don’t take a disappointing 83-win team that underachieved, keep it intact, and make one big lineup addition. It’s about all the Mets could have conceivably done.

Had Nimmo stayed, Bellinger would have been a good match to play all over the outfield. Not all were starts, but he had 85 games in left field, 52 in right field, and 41 in right field for the Yankees last year. On top of that, he has been at first base in parts of 350 games in his career. The Yankees didn’t need him much there with only 3 appearances.

Bellinger every day in the lineup with a rotation of Alonso, Nimmo, and Juan Soto into the DH slot would have been a practical direction to go. Soto apparently doesn’t like to DH and we can believe neither would Nimmo. In that case, Bellinger isn’t quite as perfect with a team of players who, for whatever reason, are reluctant to take a half-day off even for the benefit of the team.

Bellinger has gone from being a luxury addition to a near-necessity. Kyle Tucker is the only other outfielder in free agency who makes us nearly as enthusiastic. He’ll cost far more. If Bellinger’s deal makes David Stearns feel uncomfortable at the level of a wedgy, signing Tucker would put the Mets in a spot where not only have they been given an atomic wedgy, they’ve been hung from a coat hook in a middle school gym locker after 8th period in June.

The only difference by removing Alonso and Nimmo is the Mets are now a little more of a realistic match to sign Tucker or possibly pulling off a blockbuster trade for someone such as Fernando Tatis Jr. They need to deliver us something that didn't previously feel like a reasonable match. Bellinger always has.