Mets trying to cope with Cody Bellinger loss after Yankees deal by touting Luis Robert Jr. trade

The New York Yankees' patience with Cody Bellinger worked perfectly.

Despite rumored interest, the New York Mets traded for Luis Robert Jr. on Tuesday night instead. Several talking heads tried to stoke the stove in Toronto, but the Blue Jays were reportedly not interested in the star outfielder, even after losing out on Kyle Tucker. Speaking of Tucker, the Dodgers got crossed off as well when that move became final.

Bellinger's inevitable decision finally arrived on Wednesday, and the Yankees didn't miss out thanks to their line in the sand after all. Most of Bellinger's suitors were off the board, and the ones that remained were mostly long shots.

But should the Mets have been content with their outfield sans Bellinger? Even with Robert Jr. in the fold, there are some real reasons why they still might have needed the 2019 NL MVP.

The Yankees landing Cody Bellinger will force the Mets to consider what they missed out on.

We already know that money isn't an issue for the Mets, even if David Stearns has been very restrained for much of the offseason. What we have seen is that Little Brother will still spend if they think a move makes their team better. There are a few arguments that can be made that prove Bellinger still wouldn't have been a redundant piece even after the trade with the White Sox.

The first has to do with Carson Benge. The Mets' 2024 first-round pick is their No. 2 overall prospect, and someone that many are pegging into their Opening Day outfield. No doubt the youngster is talented, but he spent the majority of 2025 at Double-A Binghamton. When he did get the call to Triple-A Syracuse, he spent 24 games there and slashed .178/.272/.311. It seems reasonable to give the 23-year-old some more seasoning and bring him up later in the year. That would force Tyrone Taylor, owner of a 70 wRC+ last season, into left, which is not ideal for a team with a lot of pressure on its shoulders after missing the postseason last year.

Of course, there's also Robert Jr. himself. Once regarded as a future superstar, the former White Sox has posted identical 84 wRC+ marks the past two seasons. Some will point to his .298/.352/.456 second-half line as a reason for optimism that his bat will bounce back. However, that was over a small 31-game sample, as Robert Jr. had his season cut short due to injury. Injuries have been the other big story with the enigmatic center fielder. He's topped 2025's 110 games played just once in his six-year career.

Injuries and/or poor performance could make Robert Jr. a big disappointment. It could also stress the Mets' lineup by forcing both Benge and Taylor into the spotlight. At the end of the day, any of those issues with Robert Jr. would result in the Mets declining his option for 2027, giving them both a short-term and long-term need in the outfield.

Lastly, there's Bellinger's versatility to consider. The Mets signed Jorge Polanco, a former shortstop whose glove has declined to the point that he washed out at both second and third base, to ostensibly play first base, a position he has registered one game at over his entire career. Meanwhile, the DH spot is pretty open, with up-and-down young players Mark Vientos and Brett Baty vying for time there in between the mix of veterans they'll look to protect.

Bellinger could've solved first base for them and pushed Polanco into a near-full-time DH role. In fact, the Mets could have benefited from the fact that Bellinger can buy Benge time in Triple-A while evaluating Polanco at first, and then shuffled the pieces once Benge is ready to come up. At that point, Bellinger could've played first everyday while still serving as a backup center field option in case disaster strikes with Robert Jr. He also could've allowed the Mets to explore Baty, Vientos, and Benge in trade talks (Freddy Peralta? Tarik Skubal?) more comfortably.

The way Bellinger's versatility unlocks multiple possibilities for the Yankees should've made the Mets envious, not self-satisfied with their lone outfield addition. That should have been enough for them to get hot to trot and try to steal Bellinger away in the final hours, and now they'll have to grasp at straws to find reasons why they made the correct move by trading for an inferior player.

Why, look. It's already begun.