Cody Bellinger is a popular free agent but there seems to be a hesitation from every suitor to actually do a deal. Recent New York Mets rumors have connected them to one of the far cheaper alternatives, Austin Hays.
Very different from Bellinger in terms of what he can fully offer, signing Hays instead of Bellinger provides the Mets with a lot more long and short-term roster flexibility. Bellinger could cost about 5x more than Hays and for many more years.
They aren’t the only ones hoping to land Hays. The New York Yankees are also using him as a scare tactic to get Bellinger to bend.