The Mets made headlines by trading Jeff McNeil to the Athletics, opening up a big void that goes beyond just a spot on the roster. While shedding his salary was a necessary financial reset, it has stripped the team of its primary safety net in the outfield, leaving the depth chart looking dangerously thin.
With Juan Soto locking down right field as the only guarantee, the Mets are suddenly staring at two glaring vacancies in center and left field. Tyrone Taylor is a capable fourth outfielder, but asking him to be an everyday starter on a championship contender is a recipe for disaster.
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The High-Risk, High-Reward Gamble
Rumors are swirling that the Mets are reportedly looking at a 2023 All-Star to bolster the lineup, and one potential path involves a double-dip into the volatility market: trading for Luis Robert Jr. and signing Cody Bellinger. On paper, this creates a defensive juggernaut, but the reality is far more complicated and expensive. Investing $150+ million in Bellinger feels like a trap, especially when you consider that leaving the cozy confines of Yankee Stadium will likely punish his power numbers.
Bellinger’s Metrics Are Screaming Caution
Bellinger’s resurgence with the Yankees was a nice story, but the underlying numbers suggest he is a prime candidate for regression.
In 2025, he posted a .272 average with 29 homers, but his average exit velocity sat in the 24th percentile and his hard-hit rate was in the 26th percentile. He isn’t crushing the ball; he is finessing it, and that profile often ages poorly once the athleticism starts to tick down. While his 93rd percentile range is elite, paying ace-money for a defensive specialist with a fragile bat is a risky allocation of resources.
Luis Robert Jr. Is a Reclamation Project, Not a Savior
Then there is the enigma of Luis Robert Jr., a player who teases superstar potential while delivering frustration. He offers elite defense in center field, similar to Bellinger, but his bat has completely evaporated over the last two seasons. Robert Jr. has posted back-to-back years with an 84 wRC+, making him 16% worse than the league-average hitter. Trading valuable assets for a player who struggles to stay on the field and hasn’t hit competently in years is a desperate move for a team that needs certainty.
A Dangerous Path for David Stearns
President of Baseball Operations David Stearns prides himself on efficiency, but chasing these two specific names feels like gambling on past reputations rather than current reality. If the Mets execute this plan, they will have an outfield defense that can catch anything but an offense that might disappear for weeks at a time. The goal is to build a sustainable winner around Soto, not to surround him with expensive question marks who are one slump away from being liabilities.