I sat two rows from the glass in the Calder Cup playoffs and paid close attention to Bean.
I don't think there are any issues with his size whatsoever. he's a tall, kinda lanky dude. the question would be more his strength on his skates when it comes to board battles or positioning if he finds himself in the front of the net in the defensive zone.
but he held his own vs an aggressive Marlies team. really nice passer, as others have alluded he's quite adept at holding the blue line in the offensive zone. fantastic at walking the line, shows poise when people come at him, poise bolstered by confidence in his skating.
my sense is that keeping him in the AHL has been about giving him steady minutes and letting him play when his team is counting on him night after night. which would imply they don't see him as a 3rd pairing type guy long term. that said, I think he just wasn't good enough to dislodge someone in the top-6 this past season. not necessarily anything bad about him, just that's where he is for the time being.
he's trade bait IMO not because he's disappointed or anything, quite the opposite in fact, but because as of right now he's a spare part. wouldn't be the end of the world if he skated big minutes in Chicago this season and then slid right into a steady role in 21/22.