MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees eye ex-Orioles outfielder as potential Cody Bellinger fallback; Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong in Ketel Marte trade talks

The New York clubs are belong to the heavyweight class of teams who are expected to make big splashes for free agents. But with some of the position players still unsigned, the Mets and the Yankees could have to look for creative options. Here's taking a look at two of those.

Yankees looking to add Austin Hays as Cody Bellinger's alternative

The New York Yankees were linked to outfielder free agent Austin Hays by The New York Post's Jon Heyman on Wednesday.

"The Yankees also have checked in on Austin Hays. Hays becomes more realistic for them if they are unable to retain their No. 1 target Cody Bellinger," he wrote.

Hays is a career .262 hitter with 66 home runs and 242 RBIs in his eight-season career. He featured for the Baltimore Orioles in seven of those campaigns before he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline.

was part of the Cincinnati Reds lineup in 2025, hitting at .266 with 15 home runs and 64 RBIs. He was particularly strong against left-handed pitching, recording a .319/.400/.549 slash line with a .949 OPS from 105 plate appearances.

The 30-year-old has played 456 games in left field, making him an ideal option to be platooned with Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones in that position.

Mets could consider trading Jonah Tong or Brandon Sproat for Ketel Marte

The New York Mets were first linked to Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte on Monday morning by the MLB website's Francys Romero. They moved Jeff McNeil to the Athletics, which freed up the keystone spot in their lineup.

Marte has been one of the most talked-about trade pieces this offseason, with the D-backs needing to strengthen their pitching. There is an urgency for the team trade the 32-year-old as he is set to activate a full no-trade protection after the tenth day of the current season on his contract which has six years of club control left, worth $116.5 million.

The Diamondbacks are asking for young pitching in return. Mets insiders John Jastremski and Chris Lopresti on the SNY Network on Wednesday linked two young pitching prospects - Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, who made their MLB debuts for the team this season - as probable center pieces in the Ketel Marte trade.

Tong went 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA in the majors, but recorded 10-5 and a 1.43 ERA from 22 starts in two levels in the minor leagues. Sproat started 4 games for the Mets, recording 0-2, 4.79 ERA. He played entirely for Syracuse Mets, going 8-6 with a 4.24 ERA.

Edited by R. Nikhil Parshy