When I originally assessed Bellinger's potential value in free agency, I looked at the eight-year, $162 million contract Brandon Nimmo signed last winter as a possible guideline.

Well, it's out there now that Bellinger and agent Scott Boras are aiming much higher. Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the floor is $200 million, while Nightengale went higher at $250 million.

If so, MLB Trade Rumors' projection of a 12-year, $264 million contract for Bellinger may not be so outrageous after all. And in the abstract, that would be a deal befitting a guy who has a Rookie of the Year, an MVP, two All-Star selections, a Gold Glove, two Silver Sluggers and a World Series ring.

The big concern with Bellinger is that, though he finished last year with an .881 OPS and 26 home runs, he didn't hit the ball all that hard. But that concern is overblown, as last year's poor contact quality was part intentional and, seemingly, part injury-related.

Otherwise, there's not much to complain about with him. He's a good defender in both center field and at first base, with an offensive profile consisting of a good bat-to-ball skill, speed and, yes, power.

Yet, once the New York Yankees made trades for Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo, Bellinger's best hypothetical fit came off the board. And of the fits that are still out there for him, none are perfect.

All the same, let's size them up one at a time.

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