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Carlos Beltran Rumors: Thursday

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 21, 2011 at 4:06pm CST]

Carlos Beltran homered last night, which should help the Mets convince their rivals that Beltran is the difference-making bat teams are looking for. He'll cost a lot in terms of prospects, can block any trade and earns $18.5MM, but that didn't stop the rumors from swirling yesterday and it won't stop them from continuing today. The latest updates are up top:

The Indians interest in Beltran has cooled according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter).
The Mets aren't concerned about obtaining Beltran's permission for a deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, who reports that GM Sandy Alderson has had at least one conversation with agent Scott Boras on the topic.
The Phillies have been scouting Beltran and the Mets have been scouting the Braves’ system in anticipation of possible trades, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets may try to obtain Randall Delgado or Arodys Vizcaino from the Braves, Rubin reports.
Though the Tigers are interested, they’re focused on starting pitching, according to Rubin.
The Rangers are interested in Beltran, but their priority is improving their bullpen, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Other clubs likely need and value Beltran more than Texas.
Carlos Gomez broke his collarbone last night, and SI.com's Jon Heyman says (on Twitter) it'll be interesting to see if the injury increased Milwaukee's interest in Beltran. He lists the Phillies, Giants, Braves, and Brewers as the top suitors at the moment.
Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports is hearing that the Giants still intend to make a hard run at Beltran despite the report that the two sides do not match up well for a trade (Twitter link).
The Mets and Giants are having trouble matching up for a trade, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News. San Francisco is willing to take on most or all of the $6MM or so remaining on the outfielder's contract, but won't part with a high-end prospect. The Mets are willing to absorb salary, but are insisting on high-end talent in return for Beltran.
Alderson and Beltran told Mike Sielski of the Wall Street Journal that they'd be open to signing a deal after the season, when Beltran hits free agency.
The Brewers will acquire Beltran if they can scrape together a package for him, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Twitter links). Olney, who repeats that the Mets are still insisting on a high-end prospect for Beltran, likens the Brewers' pursuit to "searching for nickels under couch cushions."
Mets GM Sandy Alderson is narrowing the field of possible trade partners, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown. Beltran, who received a list of possible destinations from Alderson Tuesday, does not appear to have ruled out trades to the Phillies, Red Sox, Braves, Giants and Brewers. The Yankees may also be in the mix.