Why Mets are 'reluctant' to pursue Cody Bellinger, per insider

The New York Mets are hesitant to go all-in on Cody Bellinger for one reason.

May 24, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) during the sixth inning against the against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It appears that it's now getting to crunch time when it comes to MLB free agency.

With Alex Bregman having signed a deal with the Chicago Cubs earlier this week and Ranger Suarez agreeing to a contract with the Boston Red Sox on January 14, there are just a few top position players and starting pitchers on the market.

While both Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen would seem to make sense for the New York Mets to pursue, it appears that they're more interested in potentially trading for a starting pitcher. Instead, their free agency efforts appear to be more focused on signing either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker, who are two of the three best remaining bats (along with Bo Bichette, who isn't a fit for the Mets).

Read more: What Mets' competitors are offering Kyle Tucker

For most of the offseason, it seemed like the Mets were more interested in signing Bellinger than Tucker. But that sentiment has clearly shifted as of late, as the Mets have reportedly offered Kyle Tucker a three or four-year contract that's worth as much as $50 million per year.

Oct 2, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker (30) is greeted in the dugout after scoring against the San Diego Padres during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

There hasn't been any official report about exactly how much the Mets have offered Bellinger, but it's clear that they're not willing to give him as much as Tucker at this point.

Insider assesses Mets' hesitancy in Cody Bellinger sweepstakes

There has been a lot of chatter about Bellinger's preference to sign a long-term deal in free agency this winter. And this seems to be what's causing the Mets' pause in pursuing him, which Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic conveyed in a January 14 article.

Rosenthal asserted in the article that the Mets' preference for inking shorter-term deals is why they're "reluctant" to go hard in trying to sign Bellinger, given that the 2019 NL MVP Award winner is looking for a seven-year deal at this point.

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— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 14, 2026

Rosenthal did note that Tucker's declining defense in the outfield is one reason why David Stearns (who has emphasized the need for improving the Mets' defense this winter) should potentially think twice about signing Tucker to a massive deal.

Ultimately, Stearns needs to sign either Tucker or Bellinger this winter, if only because his team's fan base might revolt if he doesn't. And there's a strong case to be made that Bellinger could be worth a seven-year deal, especially given that Juan Soto signed a 15-year deal just one offseason ago.