The offseason in major league baseball can have its slow moments and after the flurry of deals in early December and the contract from Robinson Cano for over $200 million, many have wondered whether Angels outfielder Mike Trout could command $400 million in the future and this goes down as the Yankees announced their deal with Carlos Beltran.
The Cano deal was massive this offseason, but it only scratches the surface of what deals could look like in the future. ESPN.com insider Buster Olney writes about the possibility of Trout on the open market and after the two seasons he has had in his short major league career, many believe that he could be the best player of his generation. The Angels are paying him pebbles because that's all they need to pay him and after making just $510,000 last season, he is in line to cash in at his first arbitration and then after that he could end up being the most expensive athlete in history.
Olney adds a talent scouts take on Trout and you can see why people are excited: "But then you think about it," he said. "Robinson Cano is a decade older than Trout and he just got $240 million. Trout is 22 years old and he's a better player than Cano right now."
After the deal was first reported on it took some time for the Yankees to get it done, but they have officially signed Carlos Beltran. Here is more from Reuters.com on the move: The Yankees beefed up their batting strength and likely postseason prowess by signing free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran, an eight-time All-Star, to a three-year contract on Thursday.
Financial terms were not released by the Yankees.
Beltran, 36, has a .283 career batting average in the majors with 1,346 runs, 446 doubles, 358 home runs, 1,327 runs batted in and 308 stolen bases and earned the nickname "the new Mr. October" because of his clutch hitting in the playoffs.
Hall of Famer and five-time World Series champion Reggie Jackson was the original "Mr. October" because of his postseason exploits with the Oakland A's and Yankees in the 1970s.
In 17 postseason games for the National League-champion St. Louis Cardinals this year, including his first trip to the World Series, Beltran batted .268 with three doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs.
Last month, he became a free agent after declining a one-year deal with the Cardinals reportedly worth $14.1 million.
Born in Puerto Rico, Beltran was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1999 and has played for five teams in the majors - the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis.
He ranks fourth among active players in career runs scored, trailing only Alex Rodriguez (1,919), Derek Jeter (1,876) and Albert Pujols (1,425).
Beltran is the only player in the majors to have recorded four consecutive seasons with at least 100 runs scored, 20 home runs, 100 RBIs and 30 stolen bases, doing so from 2001-2004.
A three-time winner of the Gold Glove Award, he was originally selected by Kansas City in the second round of the 1995 Draft. (Reuters)