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At this point in the MLB offseason, we have seen a few of the bigger names available in free agency land some massive contracts. However, there are still multiple names on the board who are likely to receive lucrative deals, making for some strong drama to come down the line.

*PREDICTION*

One of the biggest names still available in free agency is veteran outfielder Cody Bellinger, who is coming off a strong season with the New York Yankees. Bellinger has been reportedly looking for a long-term deal, giving him some needed security as his career goes on.

With the Yankees, Bellinger had a nice season, taking advantage of the short porch in right field of Yankee Stadium as a left-handed batter. Overall, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs for the year, which were the most for him since 2019.

But the one aspect of Bellinger’s game that heavily stood out this year was that he worked to heavily cut down on his strikeout rate. Strikeouts were a huge problem for Bellinger early on in his career, but now he has turned himself into one of the toughest guys to knock out in the big leagues.

This year, Bellinger posted a career-low 13.7 percent clip, showing that he could still improve his overall skill set as he gets older. Bellinger also brings a ton of defensive versatility to the table, having the ability to play both the infield and the outfield.

Having these skills could see him land a massive contract in free agency, but it remains to be seen where he will ultimately sign. There is some interest in him returning to New York with the Yankees, but to this point, nothing has materialized, leaving the door open for another team to land him.

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Cody Bellinger Lands With the Detroit Tigers

There has been a lot of talk around where Bellinger could go, but one team that could make a sleeper run at him is the Detroit Tigers. Detroit is coming off a special season that saw it come within one game of reaching the American League Championship Series, and the front office may want to add more to the roster.

Putting the bat and defensive versatility of Bellinger into the Tigers’ roster could inject this team with a massive boost to help them get over the top. The Tigers could use another slugger in the lineup, and Bellinger could help “protect” some of the other players throughout the season due to his hitting ability.

Bellinger is a strong power threat, but he also uses his contact skills to get on base. Once on base, Bellinger has nice speed on the basepaths, which can help a team put more guys into scoring position.

Detroit wants to add more pitching staff this winter as well, but bringing in a guy like Bellinger could really transform this team into a true World Series threat. The Tigers’ brass should at least consider making this move, especially if Bellinger stays on the free agent market for longer than expected due to a lapse in negotiations with other teams.