MLB Rumors: Would It Make Sense for the Yankees to Trade for Carlos Beltran?
May 25, 2011 · Doug Rush · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Over the weekend, we saw the first part of the Subway Series between the Yankees and Mets, a series the Yankees were able to take at Yankee Stadium.
While the series has come and gone, it had a lot of people discussing a possible trading scenario between the crosstown rivals.
Last week, I brought up a scenario of the Yankees possibly going after Jose Reyes, an idea that didn’t seem to be too keen by Yankee fans.
Mostly because the Yankees still have Derek Jeter at shortstop and the fact that the Yankees wouldn’t want to part with prospects for a three-month rental of Reyes this summer.
So if you were one of those fans dreaming of Reyes in pinstripes, it might be just that, only a dream.
But this following trade scenario may be more of a reality.
The Mets are 22-25 right now, 6 1/2 games out of first place and not much hope for the season. They have a few players that looks attractive on the trade market this coming summer, one of them being Reyes.
Another one that might entice a lot of buyers is Carlos Beltran.
Beltran is in the final year of the seven-year deal he signed with the Mets back before the 2005 season, which almost certainly makes him a rental for any team in contention.
He’s hitting .277 right now with six home runs and 25 RBI right now in 44 games so far for the Mets.
He’s also coming off major knee surgery that forced him to miss most of the 2010 season, playing in just 64 games.
He was also injury plagued too in 2009, appearing in only 81 games.
Beltran is getting up in age at 34 this year. But he’s been able to stay healthy, and he’s playing for at least one more decent pay day from a team this winter.
Right now though, if Beltran can continue to play well, he’s playing himself out of Queens and possibly onto a contender.
A lot of people wonder if the Mets would deal Beltran this summer? If you look at the recent comments made by Mets owner Fred Wilpon, it looks like Beltran’s welcome may be worn out in Queens.
Wilpon was quoted in a recent New Yorker article saying, “We had some schmuck pay him based off one 2004 postseason and he’s 65 to 75 percent of what he once was.”
Does that sound like an owner who wants to keep this guy? Not at all, in fact, it sounds like he will give Sandy Alderson any approval he wants to ship Beltran out as soon as possible.
With the Yankees clinging to just a half-game lead to first place in the American League East division, they are almost a sure thing to try and make improvements to the team over the summer,
They tried it last year by nearly landing Cliff Lee from the Mariners but lost out to the Rangers. But then they were able to make a deal for Lance Berkman from the Astros, who essentially went on to be a huge bust for the Yankees down the stretch.
With the Red Sox and Rays breathing down the Yankees necks, Brian Cashman knows he’ll be looking to make deals.
So now here comes the question, would it make sense for the Yankees to try and make a deal to land Beltran this summer?
Getting Beltran won’t cost the Yankees any majors prospects, not for a 34-year-old about to hit free agency after the season.
If the Yankees were willing to take on the rest or most of Beltran’s remaining deal, the Mets may be willing to gift wrap Beltran right across the bridge.
A lot of people forget that Beltran nearly became a Yankee before 2005 when he was a free agent. If not for the Yankees dealing for Randy Johnson and signing Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright to their horrendous contracts, Beltran may have been in pinstripes all along.
A lot of people also forget that the Yankees were Beltran’s first choice seven years ago, but the Yankees couldn’t afford him after they had signed those three starters, so off he went to the Mets.
Seven years later, could Beltran get his wish?
According to a story from last week by Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News, he brought up the possibility of the Yankees making a deal for Beltran.
In a story done by Joel Sherman of the New York Post, it made perfect sense for the Yankees to trade for Beltran because of the extra value he could bring to the current Yankee lineup.
It would in fact make sense right now considering Jorge Posada is hitting only .188 and Nick Swisher hitting only .208.
Both Posada and Swisher’s positions of designated hitter and right field are both spots that Beltran could fit into right now in the Yankee lineup.
Plus, throw in the fact that he’s also a switch hitter, which would only help the Yankee lineup that could use a bat like Beltran’s in the lineup.
It’s a lineup that many has been accused of “living and dying by the home run” this season.
In the game on Sunday against the Mets, the Yankees didn’t need to hit home runs against the Mets pitching to win, 9-3.
In the game on Tuesday against the Blue Jays, the Yankees didn’t win via the home run. They got a game-tying hit from Curtis Granderson and a game-winning hit from Mark Teixeira to win 5-4 against Toronto.
So the Yankees don’t have to always rely on the home run ball.
But, with guys in the lineup struggling right now, and if guys like Posada and Swisher do continue to struggle, it might leave the Yankees no other choice but to make a deal with the likes of the Mets.
With the season almost two months over, you have to wonder if and when the Mets will start to waive the white flag on 2011 and start from scratch.
Aside from Reyes and Beltran, David Wright and Francisco Rodriguez’s names have come up in trade discussions as well, so if the Mets are in fact building for the future, they have the players to make deals to rebuild for the future.
Beltran obviously does not fit into the Mets long-term plans. Most people in baseball knows this.
Does he hit into the Yankees short-term plans? If the Yankees need to add offense for the second half and a playoff run, it would seem to make a lot of sense.
So now I leave it up to you the Bleacher Report community for discussion.
Would it make sense for the Yankees to look into making a deal for Beltran?
And if the Mets do put Beltran on the block and is reasonable to acquire, would the Yankees make the deal?
Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.
The MLB hot stove rumor mill is slowly starting to cranked up before the summer gets going.
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