Former MVP Appears in 2025 New York Mets Lineup Prediction

If the New York Mets miss out on Juan Soto, an attractive backup plan could linger in Chicago.

Aug 8, 2023; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger (24) celebrates his solo home run during the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

If the New York Mets can't land Juan Soto in free agency, they could potentially fall back on a solid Plan B option.

In projecting each MLB team's lineup for the 2025 season, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report placed 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger on that of the Mets. Bellinger, 29, would be playing center field and batting fifth, stepping in for Brandon Nimmo (who moves to left in such a hypothesis).

"The Mets are expected to make a run at Juan Soto in free agency, but if they miss out on signing him, Cody Bellinger could be a logical fallback plan," Reuter claims. "That is, of course, (provided) he opts out of the final two years of his current contract with the Chicago Cubs for another run at free agency."

Jun 21, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (24) hits a single against the New York Mets during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

Bellinger inked a three-year deal with the Cubs for $80 million and the first two seasons feature opt-out options. He is fresh off Comeback Player of the Year honors during his first tour of the North side, bestowed to him after he struggled in the aftermath of his MVP run with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite his struggles, Bellinger did partake in the Dodgers' run to the 2020 World Series, where he drove in the first runs with a two-run home run in the opening game against Tampa Bay.

Entering Chicago's Friday afternoon game against the New York Yankees, Bellinger is hitting .267 with 15 home runs and 61 runs batted in, all of which rank in the Cubs' current top five.

In Mets lore, the Bellinger name carries a bit of a curse: Bellinger's father Clay was on the Yankees team that defeated the Mets in metropolitan civil war that was the 2000 World Series. Clay stifled the Mets' comeback effort in Game 2 of the series, which saw him rob Todd Zeile of a two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. The Yankees won the series in five games, the last coming at Shea Stadium.