“The Mets are still on Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker”

With pitching being a major concern heading into the offseason, the New York Mets, valued at $3.2 billion by Forbes, traded away Brandon Nimmo and recently Jeff McNeil, and did not offer their franchise home run leader, Pete Alonso, a contract as he signed with the Baltimore Orioles, leaving New York with big holes to fill in their lineup.

The top of the sluggers’ free agent class includes outfielders Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker. Former Mets general manager Jim Duquette, speaking Monday on MLB Network Radio, said he thinks president of baseball operations David Stearns will likely sign Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker in free agency.

“GOOD, [David Steanrs] has a lot of options right now on the market, on the free agent market,” Duquette said. “I think they’re interested in Bellinger or Tucker. I don’t think it’s both. They are absolutely interested in a starting pitcher. It remains to be determined what.

“I think it will be shorter term, with some additional help, but they will move. I can’t really say. I feel like it’s Bellinger more than Tucker at this point, but that could change.”

The Mets aren’t the only ones facing the dilemma of drafting Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker. Their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees, have been heavily linked to one outfielder or the other since the start of the offseason.

Tucker, the younger of the two, has a better presence at the plate. He has a cumulative bWAR of 27.3 in eight MLB seasons. But injuries are a concern for the 28-year-old, who has only played 214 games over the past two years.

Bellinger is the most versatile player on defense, as he can adapt to any outfield role. But his career was marked by periods of inconsistency. He returned to form with the Yankees in 2025, hitting 29 home runs and 98 RBIs at a .272 clip.

Pete Alonso makes his feelings known about not continuing as Met

The Mets’ pursuit of Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker has intensified since first baseman Pete Alonso joined the Orioles on a five-year, $155 million contract. Alonso has been their biggest power hitter this decade, hitting 264 home runs since his 2019 debut.

On Monday, he explained what he thought about the Mets not opting to re-sign him.

“I don’t take it personally because at the end of the day it’s their philosophy, it’s their business decision. I’m in a place where they see me in their future and in their present,” Alonso said.

Short of signing a few bullpen arms, the New York Mets have mostly abandoned their roster rather than add a major name. They have almost entirely changed their core group of players, but with relatively no limitations on their salary spending, they remain the main players in free agent sweepstakes.