The New York Mets are in need of landing an outfielder. Whether it’s Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, the team is desperate to land someone. A former general manager of the team revealed key details on which player is closer to sign for the team.
Jim Duquette, a former GM of the Mets, said the Mets are more “in” on Tucker than Bellinger at this point. Bellinger wants a massive, long contract, and at 30 years old, the Mets were hesitant to give him such a long deal.
Hence, the focus is shifting more towards Tucker, where the Mets have two strong competitors to land him. Still, according to Duquette, Tucker is the main target now, so we could expect a more aggressive approach.
Tucker is an offensive powerhouse
Tucker is an elite hitter, and has power, speed, and a very low strikeout rate. This means he has a very high on-base percentage. His flat, pure swing makes his bat stay in the hitting zone for an extended period. This is something the Mets desperately needs. A consistent, offensive star.
Kyle Tucker #30 with the Cubs
And all that is backed up by his accolades. He is a three-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove and a World Series champion too. One of the best features of Tucker is his ability to steal bases too. He has multiple 30-home run, 25-stolen base MLB seasons. So the threat goes well beyond a plate appearance.
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This leaves Bellinger with almost one option
The Yankees know Cody Bellinger’s demands, but if the Mets are effectively out of the race, that also gives the Yankees a bit more leverage. Bellinger would effectively lose all his leverage, making the Yankees the side with the power in the negotiations.
If there is not the threat of losing Bellinger, the outfielder now gets the offer and decides to take it or not. However, there would not be more suitors that would offer him the kind of deal he is expecting.
