Beltre
The Los Angles Daily News has a story about the Dodgers desire to re-sign Adrian Beltre today. It will be interesting to see if new owner-by-loan Frank McCourt can scrounge up the money that Beltre wants.
At this point, I’d say Beltre has passed Carlos Beltran as the most desirable free agent this offseason. He’s actually getting better as the season goes along. 25-year-olds who play gold glove defense and hit .335/.383/.647 in a pitcher’s park don’t hit free agency very often.
I can tell you with certainty that Beltre was at the top of the Mariners offseason shopping list two months ago. He may just be pricing himself out of the reasonable contract market, though. How high do you go for a guy with one good season in his career, regardless of how good that season is? Can you throw $80 million at him and pray that this isn’t a fluke?
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61 Responses to “Beltre”
Random guy, I think it was people remembering the 02 WS that led to the Spiezio debacle. I’ll pass on acquiring talent based on those 7 games (or was it 6?). I’ve always liked Troy (I have few namesakes in sports and always root for them, except for Aikman) but seriously, his years at 3B are likely over, making him infinitely less valuable. Comparing him to Beltre at this point is like comparing Aurilia to Carlos Guillen – doesn’t anyone remember Aurilia’s 40 HR year? Didn’t he play in the 02 WS? Isn’t he a proven veteran? Yes, yes, and yes, but he’s no Calros Guillen. Troy Glaus is no Adrian Beltre.
Spiezio looked like a decent signing? To you maybe. He was a .261 career hitter with not a lot of power (career high 17 HRs; Justin Leone hit 6 HRs in 102 AB’s this year as a raw rookie, a pace of 30-35 HRs for a full season). Only a complete idiot (i.e. Bavasi) would give a three-year deal to a player like Spiezio at age 31.
And only a ridiculously optimistic Mariner fan would have considered the Spiezio signing a good one at the time. Unless of course you believed in the intangibles that guys like Spiezio and Willie Bloomquist have, you know the kind of stuff that doesn’t show up in the box score, the kind of stuff that only guys on last place teams with dopey managers have…
Many of us were howling in protest at the time of the Spiezio signing. Before this season he was a .260 hitter with 12-14 HR power moving to a pitcher’s park. With the expected fall-off from those numbers I’d have expected him to hit .250 with 10 HR’s. Instead he’s hitting .205 with 9 HR’s. Certainly worse than expected but no one should be shocked.
Beltre would be a first for the Mariners — acquiring talent on the way up instead of the way down. I’m all for it.
The M’s are so bad that adding just one of the big free agents won’t be enough to create a decent team. Many of them are needed to turn this ship around, yet none will come. As I said above, Beltre and Beltran will not be Mariners. Nor will any other high impact free agent. That won’t stop many of us from continuing to talk about why the M’s should/will sign them. It won’t stop until they’ve signed somewhere else. Until then, the M’s brass will sit back and chuckle at all of the hot stove league chatter (which started 5 months early for M’s fans). Fears will be calmed, intentions will be stated, promises will be made. Only to have (irrational) hopes dashed. Again. And then we’ll talk about the 2006 free agents that the M’s should/will sign. [In the unlikely event the M’s ever would overpay to sign just one impact free agent, that news would be quickly followed by Lincoln declaring there is no money in the budget to address any of the other team weaknesses and, in fact, the team must off-load a few players and create some more weaknesses just to afford the overpaid new guy. Then we’ll feel horrible. Just like now.]
I completely concur with everything Troy Sowden has said in his last two comments here. Beltre is (very likely) a centerpiece to build around–not a high-risk/ high-reward question mark. He’s only 25.
It’s been discussed what teams will be the “money” teams to pickup a 3B this offseason. LA is cutting salary, and have stated that they WILL NOT sign contracts beyond 3 years any longer…probably because teams cannot insure players beyond the 3rd year in any contract.
Ben Maller reported today that they will be “starting” at 6yrs for Beltre in the offseason, but figures and $$$ were not mentioned as of yet.
Boston & Orioles have been open about their interest in Beltre. Like I said, LA is cutting payroll, and so is Atlanta, and many other teams. Also, last week Mike Lowell publicly stated that there is NO WAY Florida will have a “signed” approval for a new stadium in Florida. So, he was insinuating that he will be going elsewhere. But he also mentioned that he gave them a “discount” because of the new stadium issue. So no doubt, he’ll be demanding more than $7M too.
That will leave 3B FA’s:
Beltre
Lowell
Koskie
If Lowell comes on the market that will bring Beltre’s price way down considering Boston, Orioles, and M’s are the main $$$ teams going after these guys. But, Orioles have even openly acknowledged that they “way” overpaid for Tejada, so they maynot be interested in going that high on a 3B…even if it is Beltre or Lowell.
If it got down to deciding whether we had to choose Beltre or Beltran, I would have to go with Beltran to improve our CF defense what it would take. I will be totally shocked if he gets more than $12Myr for 5 yrs though.
If we picked up Beltran as our #1 priority, and we couldn’t get Beltre too…I would focus on Koskie at 3B in the $3.5-4.5M range. Koskie has some of the BEST 3B defense out there, will hit 20-30 HR’s as a LHB (Safeco will definitely help him out even). Then we would have enough money for Sexson, Pavano, and another strong relief pitcher.
It’s sounding like the Philly’s will be possibily moving Chase Utley. OR, there maybe a chance that Polanco can be had as a FA this offseason. This all means that we can move Boone, and save even more money. In fact, with the Yankee’s worried about Boston catching up, and their pitching staff concerns, they maybe more interested in trading for Boone at 2B for insurance since he’s already cleared waivers.
Here are the links for Polanco, Utley, and Koskie:
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/9498551.htm
Placido Polanco can play second base or third base at a very high level. He is 28 years old. He has a .291 career average and, despite struggling this season with runners in scoring position, he has a .271 career average in that situation. And he’s a free agent at the end of this season.
The Phillies have Chase Utley ready to inherit Polanco’s second base slot and they have David Bell locked up at third for two more seasons. Still, they say they have hopes of re-signing Polanco.
Don’t count on it.
“I want to be somewhere I play every day,” Polanco said.
His preference is second base, where, he knows, he has a chance to win a Gold Glove – and, on the road, his locker is right beside the guy who will be playing second every day next season.
Still, with the meagerness of money on the free-agent market the past two seasons, Polanco won’t eliminate the Phillies and their possible offer of part-time playing from his consideration – though the buyer of him as a bench player better beware.
“I’m pretty intense and on days I don’t play I’m in a bad mood,” Polanco said. “I don’t know if a team would want a guy who’s in a bad mood when he doesn’t play.”
It should be noted that Polanco didn’t start yesterday.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/9490569.htm
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has the third-best RBI ratio in baseball among hitters who have at least 200 at-bats. He has 51 RBIs in just 210 at-bats. That’s a 4.12 ratio. That ranks behind only San Francisco’s Barry Bonds at 3.62 and St. Louis’ Scott Rolen at 3.93.
Phillies manager Larry Bowa said he will try to get Utley as many at-bats as possible, but Placido Polanco will remain his regular.
The article states:
Utley produces. Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has the third-best RBI ratio in baseball among hitters who have at least 200 at-bats. He has 51 RBIs in just 210 at-bats.
That’s a 4.12 ratio. That ranks behind only San Francisco’s Barry Bonds at 3.62 and St. Louis’ Scott Rolen at 3.93.
Phillies manager Larry Bowa said he will try to get Utley as many at-bats as possible, but Placido Polanco will remain his regular.
“Chase knows the situation,” Bowa said. “I think [Polanco] has earned his spot. It’s not like he’s had an off year. He’s played outstanding since the trade deadline. He’s a good player.”
Polanco is hitting .286 with 13 RBIs in 133 at-bats since the all-star break, and .313 with six homers and 13 RBIs since the July 31 trade deadline. Utley has hit .315 with 25 RBIs in 89 at-bats since the all-star break, and .289 with three homers and 15 RBIs since the trade deadline.
“One is a table setter and the other is a run producer,” Bowa said. “You’re comparing apples to oranges.”
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/9487329.htm
Marlins GM Larry Beinfest says Miguel Cabrera’s position for 2005 won’t be determined until this winter. First base, left field, right field and third base (if Mike Lowell leaves) are possibilities. Cabrera says he has no preference.
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/sports/9486594.htm?1c
It’s uncertain whether the Twins will re-sign free agent Corey Koskie. But if they don’t, word is Koskie won’t have to worry about a job. Baseball insiders say there will be at least a half-dozen teams lined willing to offer multiyear deals averaging at least $3.5 million a season, if the 31-year-old becomes available. Koskie’s value is especially high now because of the lack of quality third basemen available, and in particular, lefthanded-hitting third basemen.
Although he’s hitting just .251, his career average over seven years is .281. And after hitting his 22nd homer Tuesday night against Texas, Koskie has a chance for a 30-homer season.
Here’s the sad thing now: Late last December there were several rumors with sending Ben Davis to the Philly’s for Utley & Michaels. They wanted Davis to backup their starting catcher Mike Lieberthal. And, since Davis is from Philadelphia it seemed like a very possible rumor.
Garry, i missed why the orioles will be shopping for a 3B when they have mora and newhan (both hitting ~ .350) available at that corner.
Also beltran will be in the $17-$20 million range. His performance with the astros (horrible) wont impact his selling value. He is still a 30/30 switch hitter, capable of a .300+ average, and a solid defensive CF.
And boras is his agent.
And steinbrenner wants him.
Garry, all you’ve done is convince me even more that Beltre can be done. Beltre will do more to help the IF D than Beltran will to help the OF D. He’ll also be cheaper and have far fewer suitors – particularly not the Yankees. I like Beltre alot better than Beltran right now.
Garry, all you’ve done is convince me even more that Beltre can be done. Beltre will do more to help the IF D than Beltran will to help the OF D. He’ll also be cheaper and have far fewer suitors – particularly not the Yankees. I like Beltre alot better than Beltran right now.