We knew the Mets would at least inquire about every top free agent once Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020. However, the Mets on Sunday opened up a gaping need in the outfield when the team traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Marcus Semien.
Center field, in particular, has been a revolving door for the Mets over the past few years (and even further back). It was one of the biggest offensive crutches to the Mets in 2025, and they couldn’t find a clear answer to address it.
Mets’ center fielders produced a grim .210/.284/.314 line, “good” for a 0.7 fWAR, fifth-worst in MLB.
However, with Nimmo gone, two question marks remain in the outfield instead of just one. David Stearns noted Carson Benge would have the chance in spring training to crack the Opening Day roster, but who will fill the void left by Nimmo?
Enter the free agent market. Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are the two best-hitting free agents on the market. Mojo and I decide who the Mets should sign to make an immediate impact on a Mets lineup looking to return to the playoffs.
Photo Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Case for Kyle Tucker – Allison Waxman
Since his debut in 2018, Kyle Tucker hasn’t had much to complain about. Sure, he struggled to find his footing the first couple of years in the majors, but since 2021, he’s been one of the most reliable bats in baseball.
The 28-year-old, who’s consistently posted fWARs greater than 4.0 since 2021, posted a 4.5 fWAR in what was considered a hot-and-cold year after being traded to the Cubs. He missed time due to a calf-strain in early September, and yes, was even benched in August after a torrid first-half. Tucker posted a .280/.384/.499 line before the All-Star break, with a 145 wRC+. He had a 3.8 fWAR in the first half, ninth-best in baseball. His post-break slump lasted about a month, during which he played through a hand injury. However, after hitting .189/.333/.239 in that span, he finished his season strong with a .309/.406/.600 line the final month.
While his power has dipped slightly (30 homers in 2021 & 2022 compared to 22 & 23 the past two years), his walk rate has increased. He saw the best walk rate of his career in 2025 (14.6%) as well as the best chase rate (17.6%). Comparatively, Bellinger walked at a league average rate (8.7%), while his chase rate was a grim 30%, below league average.
There’s no doubting Tucker is a skilled hitter and has matured with his eye at the plate. What’s promising for Tucker over Bellinger are their expected stats:
Tucker 2025 expected stats vs. Bellinger 2025 expected stats
xBA: .274 vs. .254 (actual: .266 vs. .272)
xSLG: .475 vs. .416 (actual: .464 vs. .480)
xwOBA: .371 vs. .322 (actual: .363 vs. .347)
While it may seem on paper that Bellinger had the better season in 2025 (and the stats don’t lie), the expected numbers for Bellinger being lower than his actual numbers suggest he might have benefited from some luck or an opposing defense.
Stearns noted run prevention was the name of the game in 2025. Bellinger is a more versatile and overall better defender than Tucker (7 OAA vs. Tucker’s -2 OAA in 2025). At the end of the day, Tucker isn’t a defensive upgrade over Nimmo (about the same) but provides a better bat. The Mets covet defensive versatility, and if they want Tucker, they will adjust and construct their roster to accommodate his bat.
As the best free agent on the market, the Mets need a hitter to protect Soto in the lineup, especially if Pete Alonso does not return to the Mets.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The Case for Cody Bellinger – Mojo Hill
Cody Bellinger has had kind of a fascinating career. He was a certified MVP in 2019 at 24, and he was basically unrosterable two years later.
But, over the past three seasons, the 30-year-old has settled into being a very good, if not elite, player.
Bellinger was actually worth slightly more fWAR than Tucker in 2025, at 4.9 compared to 4.5. Tucker was a slightly better hitter by wRC+, but Bellinger had a higher average and slugging.
In 2024 with the Cubs, Bellinger was only a slightly above-average hitter with a 108 wRC+. But he posted a 135 the year before with the Cubs, and 125 this past season with the Yankees. He’s someone you can probably pencil in for 20-something home runs — pushing 30 — with an OBP at least in the .330 range. And, although it was a while ago now, he’s shown glimpses of total superstardom.
Another nice draw with Bellinger is his defense. He spent substantial time at all three outfield positions for the Yankees this year. While his metrics in center are expectedly worse than the corner spots, he played all three at least decently well. Pre-2021, he was a plus defender in center, and he’s still a plus defender in the corners. He had a 7 DRS in left and an 8 DRS in right for the Yankees.
Signing Bellinger would replace Nimmo with somebody who’s a little bit better of a hitter, while also being a better defender with the versatility to fill in at any of the three spots if needed. Heck, Bellinger could even play first base if the Mets don’t re-sign Pete Alonso or find a worthy replacement for him. Although he’s probably too good an outfielder to keep him at first base.
Tucker is a very good hitter, too, but the majority of his defensive experience is in right field. You couldn’t really go wrong with signing Tucker — his bat probably is more reliable than Bellinger’s — but you’d be more limited on what you could do with him in the field. He hasn’t played left field since 2020, and he only had a -1 DRS over 1,000 innings in right field this past season.
For a 2026 Mets team that has made run prevention a clear priority, give me Bellinger. He’s a solid power hitter coming off a good year, and he brings speed all across the outfield. He would kill — or at least address — two birds with one stone, adding some thump to the lineup while continuing to shore up the defense.
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