"It doesn't appear that Bellinger is on the verge of accepting a deal, however. Contract length could be a holdup. Kuty wrote that Bellinger and his representatives at the Boras Corporation were likely looking for a six- or seven-year contract. In an MLB Network appearance, Jon Morosi also suggested that Bellinger continued to seek a deal in the seven-year range. Morosi added that the Yankees unsurprisingly preferred a four- or five-year commitment."
"Bellinger is coming off a fantastic first season in the Bronx. He hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs across 656 plate appearances. He cut his already low strikeout rate to a personal-best 13.7% clip. Bellinger's bat speed and exit velocities - which prevented him from commanding a long-term contract two years ago - remain middling. His left-handed bat was perfectly suited to Yankee Stadium, where he hit .302/.365/.544 with 18 of his home runs. His .241/.301/.414 batting line on the road is essentially league average."
The Yankees and Cody Bellinger remain apart in contract talks as Bellinger and his Boras representatives seek a six- to seven-year deal while the club prefers a four- to five-year commitment. External projections generally forecast five or six years, with MLBTR projecting five years and $140 million. Bellinger will enter his age-30 season and precedent for six- or seven-year free-agent hitter contracts at that age is limited, with Brandon Nimmo in 2022 as the most recent comparable case. He hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs across 656 plate appearances and lowered his strikeout rate to 13.7%, with much stronger production at Yankee Stadium than on the road.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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