After the New York Mets’ agreement with reliever Luke Weaver last week, president of baseball operations David Stearns’ list of players added directly from the Yankees grew to six.

For just three offseasons, that’s a sizable amount.

But there are plenty of reasons why the Mets should make it seven.

Free agent Cody Bellinger, who starred last season with the Yankees, is a sensible fit.

The issue is whether the Mets end up doing what it takes to get him. For the Mets, a four-year deal for Bellinger, 30, would likely be perfect. Perfect doesn’t happen often.

Bellinger, a Scott Boras client, could be poised to land a deal north of five years.

At the start of the offseason, The Athletic’s Tim Britton projected Bellinger to score a seven-year deal worth $182 million. Already this offseason, designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Pete Alonso secured five-year deals (as Britton accurately predicted). Bellinger is younger than both of those players and produced a better bWAR last season (5.1).

To this point in the offseason, agents and executives from different clubs have described the Mets as “disciplined.” They didn’t go crazy to keep Edwin Diaz. They didn’t do much of anything to keep Alonso. They’re unlikely to go long on a free-agent starting pitcher. In the long run, there’s a chance the Mets will be right about all three decisions.

But even so, there are points when a big-market team like the Mets, set to carry another payroll greater than $300 million, should stretch in free agency — discipline be damned.

MLB executives refer to this free-agent class as mediocre, but there are players who appear to be good fits for the Mets.

Bellinger is one of them. The idea of lineup protection sparks debate, but Juan Soto believes in it. New York needs someone to hit behind him. Jorge Polanco, whom the Mets signed for $40 million over two years, is a very good player, but he should not be a one-for-one swap with Alonso. The Mets should do more to make up for the offense that left with their franchise home run leader. Down the stretch last season, Bellinger mostly batted behind Aaron Judge. Overall, Bellinger, the 2019 National League MVP, hit 29 home runs with a .813 OPS and 13 stolen bases.

Bellinger makes sense defensively, too. He earned strong grades on Baseball Savant and FanGraphs, mostly because of his work in the corner outfield spots. While playing left field, Bellinger led the American League in outs above average at the position. After trading Brandon Nimmo, the Mets could use a left fielder. Bellinger can also play center field and first base, two other positions where the Mets could use depth.

His ability to play multiple positions would fit in well with a club whose mantra at the start of the offseason was “run prevention,” even if he bats from the left side. The Mets would be a heavy left-handed-hitting lineup, but Polanco could alleviate some of that concern as a switch-hitter at first base. Also, Bellinger had a 1.016 OPS against lefties last year and holds fairly neutral splits over his career. The Mets could also find another right-handed bat to help with balance.

The Mets lacked two-way position players last season. As one NL scout put it, “their good hitters can’t field, and their good fielders can’t hit.” Adding Bellinger would improve that.

The Mets might find other ways to improve — the trade market, perhaps — that don’t involve signing Bellinger. And even if the Mets pursue him, they may not get him; the Yankees and Dodgers loom as logical landing spots. But it’s time for the Mets to at least try. Almost any player’s aging curve, including Bellinger’s, is a valid enough reason to curtail years on a contract. It’s just that approach likely won’t win with elite players.

And for all the warts in this free-agent class, Bellinger resides near the top, somewhere behind outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is set to command even more years. Bellinger isn’t perfect. In 2022, the Dodgers non-tendered him and then he opted into a contract ahead of the 2025 season. But despite some inconsistencies in the past, his track record over the last three years is steady (125 OPS-plus). Unlike Tucker, Bellinger has proven he can perform in New York, certainly part of the calculus for Stearns in his acquisitions of former Yankees (not to mention hiring manager Carlos Mendoza, previously the Yankees’ bench coach). If ever there was someone to splurge on in this market, Bellinger checks enough boxes.

Last week, Mets owner Steve Cohen posted on X, “I can’t imagine our payroll to be lower than last year. It’s always hard to predict, but that would be my best guess.” He was hinting at what could be perceived as a misconception that the Mets are significantly cutting down on spending.

If anything, the Mets have acted more economically than cheap. It’s not that they haven’t spent money. They have. They’ve just gone for the better deals. Signing Devin Williams to a three-year deal for $51 million, including deferred money, plus Polanco’s deal, are two examples.

Such an approach is mandatory at a place like Milwaukee, where Stearns previously worked. It’s helpful in New York, too. After all, the Mets have spent enormous sums of money in free agency in recent seasons and still lost. But you can afford to do certain things at certain times in New York in a way that you can’t do as easily in other places. The Mets shouldn’t be tethered to discipline.

At a certain point, especially in the wake of a disappointing season, signing the better player should be more important than getting the better deal.