You were oh, so close in 2013 Carlos Beltran. Is there any reason to believe the veteran outfielder will join the New York Yankees in 2014 and beyond as the outfielder continues to search for a place to call home following the end of the 2013 season? Why do the Yankees make sense?
For the Yankees, Beltran will truly be a cheap acquisition. Scratch Jacoby Ellsbury from your plans. He is bound to decline. Offer Beltran a two-year deal for a little over $20 million and the Yankees have a solid bat in their lineup to plug between Robinson Cano, Alfonso Soriano and Mark Teixeira. Back-to-back switch hitters in a lineup? Does that not sound intriguing for the aging Yankees?
Beltran will be relatively cheap and would plug a body in the outfield in the meantime. Worse comes to worse, though he is not young, Ichiro could man centerfield. He has a strong arm and he seems to always be in tiptop shape anyways. Beltran shifting to the A.L. would also allow him to DH in the American League.
In terms of dimensions, Beltran could finished 2014 with over 30 home runs with a chance of leading the Yankees back to the promise land. With short right field asking to have home runs hit over the wall, Beltran's numbers could multiply and make him one of the hottest players in baseball. Beltran could be considered insurance in case Cano does not sign, but realistically, where else will Cano go? Who else is going to give Cano close to $30 million a year?
At age 36, Beltran hit 24 home runs, drove in 84 RBI with a .296 batting average, a .339 on-base percentage and a .830 OPS. He played 145 games, proving he is durable and when healthy, Beltran can cause damage and become a great asset to any team.
Again, the Yankees are trying to save money. Plugging Beltran in their roster would allow them to save money and patiently await as guys like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton become free agents. Beltran would give the Yankees the option of signing an effective and productive outfielder, while simultaneously allowing them to quickly free themselves of a contract.
Look at the Red Sox, long term contracts was not the way to go. They learned their lesson. Now, why haven't the Yankees made the proper adjustments. Haven't we learned anything?
