Free agent infielders Adrian Beltre and Mark DeRosa had off-years offensively, but according to ESPN's Buster Olney, both have steep asking prices. Said Olney:
As teams have been checking in on the availability of infielders, they have found that the asking price for Beltre is no less than $10 million a year, and for DeRosa, it's a three-year deal for something in the range of $9 million a year.
Beltre is a relatively young 31 in April, his third base defense is top-notch, and he's represented by Scott Boras. He did have shoulder surgery in June. Still, his initial demands aren't entirely unexpected, and Olney didn't tell us how many years he's seeking.
DeRosa turns 35 in February, earned $5.5MM this year, and had wrist surgery in November. But since he reportedly has at least a dozen suitors, why not start the bidding around $27MM?
Both players are Type B free agents, and the Mariners and Cardinals offered arbitration on Tuesday. Beltre and DeRosa don't seem likely to accept.
