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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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Cody Bellinger is set to become a free agent this offseason after opting out of his contract.
Many teams around baseball see him as a cheaper version of Kyle Tucker, and while he may not sign a $500 million deal like Tucker, he will be far from cheap. In fact, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com is reporting this could be a great market for Bellinger.
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“This should be the best market he’s had,” an American League executive told Feinsand. “He was a real difference-maker for the Yankees this season.”
An unnamed NL executive agreed.
“I do think he will get a more substantial guarantee than the last few years,” the NL executive told Feinsand. “He’s proved he can stay healthy, he’s still on the younger side and he’s an athlete who can legitimately play multiple spots.”
Bellinger posted the second-best season of his career with 5.0 bWAR for the Yankees. He slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI, with a 125 OPS+.
Defensively, his best positions this season were when he was used as a corner outfielder for the Yankees, according to FanGraphs. Bellinger posted a combined 15 Defensive Runs Saved for New York between left and right field.
The Yankees should be in the market to bring Bellinger back to the Bronx on a long-term deal, but he will come at a significant price. Spotrac values him as a player worth $30.4 million per season and projects Bellinger to sign a six-year deal worth $182 million. Given that he is a client of Scott Boras, his deal could even push closer to the $200 million mark for whichever team lands his services.
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