MLB Hot Stove: Carlos Beltran reportedly agrees to one-year deal with the Astros
The Astros remain the most active team in baseball this offseason
By
Mike Axisa
•
3 min read
The Astros continue to be the most active team in baseball this offseason.
According to multiple reports, Houston has agreed to sign free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran. The team has not yet confirmed the news. Here are the contract terms:
Source confirms: Beltran in agreement with the #Astros, one year, $16M, full no-trade clause. First on agreement: @Buster_ESPN.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 3, 2016
Beltran remains very productive even though he'll turn 40 shortly after Opening Day. He put up a .295/.337/.513 (122 OPS+) batting line with 29 home runs in 151 games with the Yankees and Rangers in 2016. New York traded him to Texas as part of their trade deadline sell-off.
Here are five things to know about Beltran's return to the Astros.
1. Beltran hasn't been very popular in Houston.
Back in 2004, the Royals traded Beltran to the Astros in a three-team deal at midseason. Beltran was an impending free agent at the time, and Kansas City was out of the race, so they dealt him for prospects. The 'Stros were very much in the race and looking to get over the hump.
Beltran was incredibly productive during his half-season with the Astros, hitting .258/.368/.559 (135 OPS+) with 23 home runs in only 90 regular season games. He then went 20 for 46 (.435) with eight home runs and 14 RBI in 12 postseason games. That's 31 total home runs in only 102 games with the club. Incredible.
After the season Beltran spurned the Astros and signed a free-agent deal with the Mets, and since then, the Houston faithful have booed him pretty heavily each time he came to town as a visiting player. Hey, the fans felt slighted. I'm guessing those boos will turn into cheers now though.
2. Beltran wants a ring.
At this point of his career, Beltran is about one thing: winning the World Series. He's yet to win a ring in his Hall of Fame caliber career -- he's only played in one World Series, with the Cardinals in 2013 -- and that's the only thing left on his resume. Beltran has been to 12 All-Star Games, is fourth all-time in home runs among switch-hitters, and has made hundreds of millions of dollars. He joined the Astros because he feels they give him the best chance to win the World Series in 2017.
3. The Astros have been very busy.
Signing Beltran is the latest move by Houston in an offseason that includes trading for Brian McCann, signing Josh Reddick and Charlie Morton, claiming Norichika Aoki, and dealing away Pat Neshek to free up cash. So, after all of that, the Astros' primary lineup figures to look something like this:
- CF George Springer
- 2B Jose Altuve
- SS Carlos Correa
- DH Carlos Beltran
- RF Josh Reddick
- 3B Alex Bregman
- C Brian McCann
- 1B Yulieski Gurriel
- LF Nori Aoki
That leaves Evan Gattis, who swatted 32 home runs and recently had his $5.2 million option exercised, on the bench. He'll definitely get at-bats as the backup catcher, and likely also at DH with Beltran moving into the outfield some days.
This past season the Astros averaged 4.47 runs per game, which was essentially league average. Adding McCann, Beltran, and Reddick, and getting a full season of Gurriel, figures to boost the offense considerably.
4. They're probably not done either.
The Astros have been connected to Edwin Encarnacion recently, though the Beltran signing probably takes that off the table. Houston could always sign him to play first base full-time, but it seems GM Jeff Luhnow opted for the more short-term solution. A reasonable decision, that was.
There has been speculation adding so much offense this offseason could free the Astros up to trade one of their young bats, such as Springer or Bregman, as part of a package for an elite starting pitcher. Chris Sale's name is out there; ditto Chris Archer. The Beltran addition makes such a move a bit more doable.
To be clear, this was only speculation and not a hard rumor. Either way, I fully expect the Astros to continue seeking rotation help. Morton was a nice depth addition, but isn't a difference-maker. With the free agent pitching class so a thin, a trade is more likely. Intrigue!
5. One DH option is off the board.
Houston was hardly the only team looking for a big DH at-bat this offseason. The Red Sox, who have to replace David Ortiz, are in the market. So are the Yankees, who dealt McCann. The Orioles, Blue Jays, Indians, and Rangers are among the other clubs possibly seeking a big DH at-bat.
Encarnacion is clearly the top free agent DH available. No doubt about. Others like Matt Holliday, Mike Napoli, Brandon Moss, and the recently non-tendered Chris Carter remain unsigned as well. Don't forget about Jose Bautista and Mark Trumbo either. There are DH at-bats available, if those teams want them. The Beltran addition could be the start of a run of DH signings at the Winter Meetings.
