It took less than 24 hours for Cody Bellinger to re-sign with the New York Yankees after the New York Mets made a trade for outfielder Luis Robert Jr.
Perhaps Bellinger was willing to weigh his options down to the last minute, with the Mets opting to take their chances with Robert instead. Essentially, they bowed out of the bidding for Bellinger on Tuesday night, following their deal with the Chicago White Sox.
But their interest in the former NL MVP did appear to be significant after losing the bidding war with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Kyle Tucker.
Looking ahead
Now that Bellinger is back with the Yankees, the Mets’ defensive alignment comes across as complete. Especially in the outfield.
As the roster stands on FanGraphs, Juan Soto (RF), Robert (CF), and No. 2 prospect Carson Benge (LF) will be the starting outfield unit. They’ll also have Tyrone Taylor on the bench.
Despite losing fan favorite Pete Alonso in free agency, the Mets have made a surplus of position player moves (Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Robert) that should help them stay competitive.