The Rangers have won the bidding for Adrian Beltre and agreed to terms with the third baseman on a deal that keeps him away from Texas' AL West rivals, the A's and Angels. The team has announced the agreement.
Beltre and the Rangers agreed to a five-year $80MM contract that includes a $16MM vesting option for a sixth year, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). The agreement includes a limited no-trade clause, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Agent Scott Boras represents Beltre.
Beltre led the American League in doubles last year and added 28 homers, hitting .321/.365/.553 in 641 plate appearances. He made the All-Star team, won his second career Silver Slugger and played standout defense. The defensive metric UZR/150 suggests that Beltre was significantly above average with the glove (12.7 UZR/150) for the eighth time in the past nine seasons. Beltre, 31, would be 37 in the final season of a six-year deal.
Michael Young said this week that he'd be willing to move from third base if the Rangers sign Beltre. Young shifted from second base to shortstop when the Rangers traded Alex Rodriguez and from short to third when Elvis Andrus reached the majors, so position switches are nothing new for him. If the Rangers don't trade him, Young figures to appear in the lineup most days as a DH and utility player.
Young has no-trade protection, $48MM remaining on his contract and ten and five rights that take effect this May. The Rangers discussed a potential deal with the Rockies last month, but the team would have to overcome many obstacles to move Young.
Since the Red Sox offered Beltre arbitration, they will obtain two top draft picks next year. One will be a supplementary first rounder and the other will come from the Rangers. It will be Texas' first rounder as long as the Rangers don't sign Rafael Soriano. If they do sign the closer, the Rays would get the Rangers' top pick and the Red Sox would get their second rounder.
The Angels already missed out on Carl Crawford, so losing Beltre to a division rival is a considerable blow for a franchise that finished below .500 for the first time since 2003 last year. The A's, another one of Beltre's suitors, will once again face the longtime Mariner as a division rival.
This is the second long-term deal of Beltre's career. He signed a five-year, $64MM deal with the Mariners after the 2004 season. In five seasons in Seattle, Beltre hit 103 homers and posted a .266/.317/.442 line while playing stellar defense (that's 3.4 WAR per season, in case you're wondering).
Boras and Beltre accepted a $10MM offer from the Red Sox last offseason, though other clubs offered more guaranteed money. That decision positioned the third baseman for a considerably larger payday.
PioDeportes first reported the agreement over the weekend. Yahoo's Tim Brown reported that the sides were nearing a deal and that the sides had an agreement (Twitter links). Heyman reported that the Rangers were making progress on a deal in the $90-100MM range (Twitter links) and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports and others also contributed to the story.
Not smart
:O
Overpaid for a descent player not good for rangers lol
They’re starting to resemble the ’96 squad. All bop.
This move’s not just about the “bop.” Swapping out Young for Beltre at 3B is a 20-run defensive improvement by Fangraphs’ numbers.
That said, unless you believe Beltre’s performance (7.1 WAR, same as Cliff Lee) last year is his new baseline and he can maintain somewhere within shouting distance of that performance for most of the contract, this contract will look pretty bad in about 3 years.
Thank god the Angels and Dodgers passed on this fraud!
Yeah, because the Angels are much better team that the Athletics and Rangers without Beltre.
Wait…
you mean “then”? 🙂
no he means “than”
Dang, beat me to it.
I’m embarrassed… I actually work part time as an editor.
That’s perfect
Apply to ESPN, their writers stink and their editors fix their mistakes days later in articles. It’s hilarious.
I’m embarrassed… I actually work part time as an editor.
haha
You mean “than”? 🙂
You mean “than”? 🙂
Yeah, because the Angels are much better team that the Athletics and Rangers without Beltre.
Wait…
He just is angry that the angels are stuck with Morning Wood at third base.
Now they can’t pay Nelson Cruz or josh hamilton
Did they tell you that?
I know it is hard for some of you people to wrap your heads around, but get this through your heads.
TOM. HICKS. DOESN’T. OWN. THE. RANGERS. ANYMORE.
Now they can’t pay Nelson Cruz or josh hamilton
I like Adrian Beltre. I wouldn’t give him 15M+ per year, but he has a gold glove at 3B and can hit for some power in the right ball park (Arlington). However, I don’t like the idea of Micheal Young making 16M to DH. This is just one more middle finger to the Angels, and I like it!
Texas is like the reality star that wins $25k and starts spending money and acting like they are Kanye West. They are simply overrcommitting to non pressing needs. This whole “we can be competitive” thing is new to them and it has got them thinking with their heart and not their head. These huge crappy contracts in a slightly above average (size) market team are going to add up quick and leave you looking like the Mets circa 2008.
Just like almost every year of the decade, the Angels will be back.
It could be worse. At least they’re not paying Gary Matthews Jr. 8 figures to play for another team (or not play at all), like the Angels are having to do for the second year in a row.
Not to mention whoever “wins” the right to see Carl Pavano sit on the DL for the next 3 years.. The ultimate contract year player, yet people here act like beltre is.
Funny how all these people ignore a guy like Pavano have 3-4 years of nothing but injuries, then 2 seasons out of nowhere when his contract is up, but Beltre actually plays and has GG seasons, plays through injuries and puts up fair numbers to boot, yet he is a contract player in one of the lousiest hitter’s parks in the game, being Seattle.
except Pavano isn’t going to make potentially $16 mil per year over 6 years
Beltre you figure will be on the field, put up 25-30 HR, have an 800+OPS and give you GG defense at 3B. Pavano on the other hand will have a more than all likelihood of spending 2/3 of the next 3 seasons on the DL for some sort of injury, whether real or imagined at 10M+ per season over 3 years.
except Pavano isn’t going to make potentially $16 mil per year over 6 years
DFW is the number 5 media market in the US, and is the largest media market that doesn’t have two MLB teams. So calling it slightly above average size is a little misleading.
Like most contracts, this one will be seen as worth it if he plays well, and an albatross if he tanks.
Texas is like the reality star that wins $25k and starts spending money and acting like they are Kanye West. They are simply overrcommitting to non pressing needs. This whole “we can be competitive” thing is new to them and it has got them thinking with their heart and not their head. These huge crappy contracts in a slightly above average (size) market team are going to add up quick and leave you looking like the Mets circa 2008.
Just like almost every year of the decade, the Angels will be back.
The infield defense for 5 years might make up for Cliff Lee’s fWAR over the next 7 years.
“Say Mike… d’ya think you could slide over to short so we can deal A-Rod? Thaaaaanks.”
“Say Mike… how about moving to third so we can play Andrus? ‘ppreciate ya, buddy.”
“Say Mike… wanna try DH? We’re gonna sign Adrian Beltre.”
“Say Mike… how do you feel about being a AAA bench coach?”
Cute post. But what’s wrong with Young doing what he and management feel is in the best interest of the team?
I wish every player had Michael Young’s attitude!
i’m sure the management is thrilled to pay Young $16 Mill per year
I never said (or even implied) that he isn’t overpaid. I’m just pointing out the fact that he’s a team player.
i’m sure the management is thrilled to pay Young $16 Mill per year
I wasn’t mocking Young’s attitude, only having some fun with the constantly declining value he has. I mean, really… at this point, the guy has got to be feeling like Milton from Office Space… “We’re gonna need to move your desk…”
Cute post. But what’s wrong with Young doing what he and management feel is in the best interest of the team?
I wish every player had Michael Young’s attitude!
LOL
“Say Mike… d’ya think you could slide over to short so we can deal A-Rod? Thaaaaanks.”
“Say Mike… how about moving to third so we can play Andrus? ‘ppreciate ya, buddy.”
“Say Mike… wanna try DH? We’re gonna sign Adrian Beltre.”
“Say Mike… how do you feel about being a AAA bench coach?”
For some teams, and for the right price, Beltre makes sense. This however, defies logic on all levels.
For some teams, and for the right price, Beltre makes sense. This however, defies logic on all levels.
Boras finds another sucker team, and Young is going to be the highest paid janitor in the world.
Barry Zito says hi.
More like Vernon Wells and Soriano say hi.
no, vernon’s a decent CF when healthy. Obviously not worth half his contract but i wouldn’t group him with soriano
Carlos Zambrano may nudge zito over and with his temper.. More than a gentle nudge to boot…
Yeah but he’s waving his hand with the ring on his finger!
While he’s doing that his teammates quietly remind him that he had pretty much nothing to do with him getting a ring.
Barry Zito says hi.
Rangers fans do not get excited! Beltre only does well in contract years…such a phony
6 years and 96 mil??? If those are indeed the final numbers I’m surprised at the Rangers for this. I don’t think anyone else was willing to offer a sixth year, let alone 16 mil per. He’ll obviously upgrade the team, but down the road this contract may come back to bite them.
Oakland actually offered a sixth year, if Peter Gammons is to be believed. But it was for $76 mil, instead of the reported $96 mil that he’ll get from the Rangers if the 6th year vests.
Oh okay. I guess Beane helped inflate the price. Still seems like an overpay to me, but as an A’s fan I’m not happy that he’s back in the AL west.
It’s definitely an overpay. No doubt about it. I just wish it had been the Angels that ponied up for him. I’m an A’s fan, too. And I think he’ll be able to do A LOT more damage in Texas, than he would have in Anaheim.
But angels have better pitching than rangers. So in fact, beltre going to Texas isn’t as bad as if he went to Anaheim. Texas pitching still has prove themselves they can do it again this year minus Lee. Beltre still is a plus addition to their lineup don’t get me wrong but without good pitching to keep runs off the board the west is still a toss up.
True. On paper, the Angels look like they’re gonna have a much better pitching staff than the Rangers. But my point is that I don’t think Beltre could have produced nearly as many runs for the Halos (or A’s, for that matter) as he’ll be able to for the Rangers. In Texas he’ll have the luxury of playing half his games inside a thimble called Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and he’ll be hitting somewhere in the middle of Andrus, Hamilton, Cruz, Kinsler and Young.
He wouldn’t have had that luxury in Anaheim or Oakland.
Beltre will most likely take Vlad’s spot in the lineup: Andrus, Young, Hamilton, Beltre, Cruz, Kinsler.
That’s a lot of right-handers in a row though? Don’t think the Vlad spot for Beltre is a slam dunk.
Well if I remember correctly, the Rangers are only gonna have 3 left handed batters in their lineup on most days, Moreland/Davis (1B), Hamilton (OF), and Borbon/Murphy (OF). Unless you do L, R, R, L, R, R, L, R, R… you will wind up with at least 3 right handers in a row.
Well if I remember correctly, the Rangers are only gonna have 3 left handed batters in their lineup on most days, Moreland/Davis (1B), Hamilton (OF), and Borbon/Murphy (OF). Unless you do L, R, R, L, R, R, L, R, R… you will wind up with at least 3 right handers in a row.
you realize that Cliff Lee wasn’t with the Rangers until July of last year and he struggled for much of the regular season, right?
It’s definitely an overpay. No doubt about it. I just wish it had been the Angels that ponied up for him. I’m an A’s fan, too. And I think he’ll be able to do A LOT more damage in Texas, than he would have in Anaheim.
Why would they outbid the A’s by 20 million though?
No idea. But they might have thought that the Angels would eventually cave in and give him what he had been asking for all along, and wanted to beat them to to the punch.
Just a theory, though.
Werth got an extra year + 30M more and only has 3 seasons of a track record. How can this be an overpay when Beltre is one of the best fielding 3B in the game and has 10 seasons of a average to good track record with his at the least?
Beltre detractors never cease to amaze me.
Overpaying refers to what the market value is, and if the Rangers are going to pay him $20mil more than anyone else, they are overpaying by at LEAST $15mil.
Exactly right. Couple that with the fact that Beltre was NOT a need. The team is already committing $16m to their other 3rd baseman.
Put another way, the team could have brought in a big bat at 1st and DH for the same annual average value as Beltre. So, that gives you two scenarios (as an example):
— Scenario 1 – Young at 1st base/DH/utility role … Beltre at 3rd
— Scenario 2 – Young at 3rd … Vlad at DH … LaRoche at 1st
Both would cost approximately the same. However, I’d bet my paycheck that scenario 2 contribute AT LEAST 2 additional WAR vs scenario 1. (And yeah – I know LaRoche isn’t available as of today – it was just an example). And you don’t have an issue with a 6 year contract. And you keep your first round pick.
I’ve been saying for quite a while now, that the Rangers should have signed Vlad to a $10M/3 year deal. Vlad has said that years are more important than dollars.
Beltre just doesn’t make sense. Not at $16M/Yr anyways… he probably could have been had for $14M or less. I just hope the Rangers dont regret this later… Michael Young’s contract is bad for the next 3years and they’re pretty much stuck with him. What happens if Beltre doesnt pan out after year 3 and they’re stuck in the same prediciment?
6 years and 96 mil??? If those are indeed the final numbers I’m surprised at the Rangers for this. I don’t think anyone else was willing to offer a sixth year, let alone 16 mil per. He’ll obviously upgrade the team, but down the road this contract may come back to bite them.
Slight overpay in years, but at least their owner isn’t Arte Moreno.
and I’m a Brewers fan, by the way.
Arte Moreno = One of the best owners in baseball.
Not overpaying just to please fans at the expense of his club’s future is one major reason why that equation holds true.
Umm….wasn’t Moreno the one who signed (and is still paying) Gary Mathews?
After that little debacle it’s like the Angels said “no more free agents”
We get it. GMJ was a bad signing.
Never mind that EVERY team has a bad contract or two on the books.
As for not bringing in more FA’s … well Torii Hunter was signed to almost $100m contract. Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui were both FA acquisitions. They took on big contracts with Kazmir and Haren. They made very respectable offers to Sabathia and Teixeira.
But don’t let facts get in the way …
He’s paying Gary Matthews about 10M not to play, but that’s not overly large in this market. Paying someone 16M to play at a $10M level at best (i.e. Michael Young) added with the major overpay of Beltre is worse. I’m guessing math and statistics aren’t exactly some of your strengths…
dont forget, angel wonks: all those dollars for all those mediocre middle releivers!
Well last I checked it’s better to overpay a guy by $6MM and get something out of it then it is to pay a guy $10MM to go away. Then again as you so cleverly pointed out math isn’t my strong suit.
I’m guessing if you told Arte “you can have Michael Young and pay him $16MM for his productive bat OR you can keep paying GMJ $10MM for nothing” he picks Young all day long.
One word: NO!
He’s definitely getting paid more than he’s worth, in my opinion. But I still think this is a good signing for the Rangers. He fits in great with their current lineup, and getting to play 81 games in Arlington will likely mean that his numbers won’t dip too much (if at all) from 2010. And that’s not to mention his stellar defense, which I don’t think will decline a whole lot over the course of this contract (it’s not like he’s a SS, 2B or CF).
Angels blew it. Well at least they wont have salary problems like texas will. Maybe they will steal Hamilton from Texas when they cant afford him.
Hamilton isn’t going anywhere.
As a Red Sox fan, I’m pretty happy with this deal.
Yea they did great with signing him for 10 mill on a one year deal during which he had a career year. Also props to them for not attempting to resign him, especially for that price AND they get a first round pick! All around that turned out great for the sox.
Yes it did. Such is the nature of baseball.
Rather would have had the Angels sign Beltre. Their draft pick is higher than the Rangers.
THe Angels draft pick in the first round is protected therefore the Red Sox would have gotten a second rounder instead. The rangers were the best possible destination for Beltre from the sox stand point.
Rather would have had the Angels sign Beltre. Their draft pick is higher than the Rangers.
Just another surprise in an offseason full of them. I don’t hate the move because I think beltre will hit well and young’s d at third had been killing them all year, but it really is dumb to pay young that much to DH. I guess that’s whoever signed him to that horrible contract’s fault (if someone wants to look that up and tell me that’d be cool). Anyway, I think time will really tell whether or not this is a good move.
Chan Ho Park & Alex Rodriguez both phoned Adrian and encouraged him to sign with Texas, as it is a great place to spend roughly 2 years of your multi-year obligation, spill some good ol’ Texas Tea on you, then see you move on along…
Chan Ho Park & Alex Rodriguez both phoned Adrian and encouraged him to sign with Texas, as it is a great place to spend roughly 2 years of your multi-year obligation, spill some good ol’ Texas Tea on you, then see you move on along…
I wouldn’t trust Beltre to perform anywhere near what he did last year ever again. He’ll certainly provide great defense, but he’s a lot closer to a .330-.340 wOBA bat, than a .390 that he posted last year. He’s always been better on the road too, even last year when he played in friendly Fenway, so it kind of makes some of these points moot. To me he’s worth 14mil-15mil at around 4 years, but he’s going to get 6 years/96mil which is a bit ridiculous for my liking, but Texas should get some good value for a lot of the contract just based on defense alone, but I wouldn’t expect him to have another year like last year again.
4 out of 5 AL East teams play in hitters’ parks
And? He’s always been better on the road compared to home.
playing in Safeco will do that
playing in Safeco will do that
And? He’s always been better on the road compared to home.
4 out of 5 AL East teams play in hitters’ parks
As an Angels fan, I’m not trying to be sore about this, but it seems like a really, really bad move for the Rangers. I’m not really sure about the Rangers’ situation but I’m gonna go ahead and assume hitting is not one of their pressing needs right now, at least not at 96 mill for 6 years. Is Beltre worth 16 mill at age 37?
Anyway my assessment of this is that Beltre and Boras are the only winners in this deal. Rangers just spent BIG for someone they didnt really NEED. And the Angels lost their last chance to make the huge splash in free agency that Arte promised. Oh well, here we come Rafael Soriano, or maybe not…
Moreno didn’t deliver at all. He should have shut his mouth instead of making empty promises…
Yeah, I believe that all those bold declarations Arte made that led everyone to believe Crawford or at least some big name FA was already an Angel made this offseason seem ALOT worse than it really is. I mean if you completely erase everything Arte said, then the Angels actually didn’t have a bad offseason. We filled a glaring need in the bullpen by acquiring 2 solid guys that have proven they can improve a bullpen, not a Rodney or Fuentes type guy. And we’re only getting our best offensive player back in Kendry Morales. Not to mention Dan Haren who should be more settled in the Big A when the season starts again.
But yeah i totally agree with you, Arte should not have said stuff he couldn’t back up. But then again, I guess thats what your supposed to say after a disappointing season.
This is about the 10th time I’ve read this same comment today.
Please tell us all what Moreno should have done. What we “know” today about both situations …
1. The Red Sox paid at least $30m over the next highest confirmed offer. And no, the Angels did not make an offer to Crawford.
2. The Rangers paid at least $20m over the next highest confirmed offer (from the A’s).
So, Arte failed to deliver because he wasn’t foolish enough to overpay for talent?
Bad contracts sink clubs. How long did Texas mire in mediocrity over the A-Rod deal. SF with Zito. The Astros with Lee (and others), the Cubs with Sorianno and Zambrano, etc, etc.
These deals all “sound” fine at the time because you are bringing in big names and making a splash. The problem is that when you overpay you rarely ever receive an equal return on your investment. I would much rather have a team that is fiscally sound, able to make big moves when needed. That’s how Haren ended up a Halo last year. Deals like that will surface again this year. And when they do the club will be able to make them.
First, you have to be very careful about who made an offer and who did not. Only the player and the agent know for sure the name of the bidders.If you want to sign a free agent, you will have to overpay because of the supply and demand. You said that the Red Sox overpaid by 30M but who was the other team who bidded first then? Is it possible that Boston made an offer to have a ” yes ” right away? Normally, when you really, really want a player, you make him an offer that he can’t refuse, right? If Crawford was a priority for the Angels, why on earth they didn’t even make an offer? It doesn’t make sense. Beltre? Oakland was rebuffed, last year, but it doesn’t prevented them to make another offer… So, i guess that Beltre is a good player, at least. Texas overpaid to have premium defense at 3rd base and some offensive pop. I think Beltre will give them just that and let’s face it: Texas improved. Anaheim? They improved in the bullpen but these guys are not ” every day ” players. Spending 5/15 for a lefty specialist doesn’t sount as a good investment for me. Let me add that it’s not making up for their failures to sign the players that they really need.
a good read: msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Jon-Paul-Morosi-Angels…
The Red Sox win too with the Rangers first pick plus sandwich pick! Sweet! 2 first rounders, 2 sandwich picks , and a 2nd rounder in a deep draft!
Somewhere in Boston Theo is causally mentioning to Henry that he wants a raise.
I was re-reading the post and saw that it says that the Red Sox’ pick would fall to the second round if the Rangers also sign Soriano, which got me thinking. I actually wouldn’t be overly surprised if they did, their rotation needs help and there has been talk about them moving Feliz to the rotation which would open up the closer spot. I’m not sure if they would want to hand out two relatively large contracts in one off season but it could be a fit.
I’d be shocked if they did at this point. They have Neftali Feliz as their closer and since they added Brandon Webb to the rotation, he should be staying put in that role.
Good call, I forgot that they got Webb.
Somewhere in Boston Theo is causally mentioning to Henry that he wants a raise.
Possibly 3 sandwich picks if someone (other than us) signs Felipe Lopez to an MLB deal.
The Angels lost their two top targets for the offseason to their two top rivals. its been a horrible offseason for angels fans.
Except the part where they got two good relievers.
Do the Angels see the Red Sox as a top rival? If not then who are you talking about? (I was assuming Carl Crawford)
In other news : Uggla has signed a 5yr/62mil extension with Atlanta.
And Frank McCourt has signed another house to a 2 year contract.
And Frank McCourt has signed another house to a 2 year contract.
actually dude, im a huge angels fan and wanted Beltre to come to the Big A, but im not sure the angels really should have gone 96mil for Beltre. It’s not like Beltre is just about to hit his prime or something, and maybe the money saved here can help resign our core players in the future, ala Weav, K-Mo, and sign someone better and cheaper next year.
And you’re right, I don’t know how the Rangers are going to keep Hamilton, Cruz, Andrus, etc, with Beltre’s salary. If we do end up stealing Hamilton, that would just be sweet.
“Stealing” Hamilton—After a Werth contract, the thought obtaining Hamilton for anything less than twice of what Werth is making would be theft. Sad but true.
I suspect the FO will try to spin this that the money they save can be spent on Weav and K-Mo but they’re both Boras clients. I think the greater likelihood is that Weav is trotted out by Boras after his arb years for a battle between the BoSox and Yanks for his services. K-Mo will be a free agent about the time LaRoche’s contract is up with the Nats so I’m sure Boras will get him a much better deal with them… or the Cubbies. Then the Angels FO can moan some more about salaries and then spin it that at least they got some primo draft picks. Sorry I’m also an Angels fan and just a little bitter about this off season.
losing weav AND morales? you just broke my heart dude
Yeah, sorry about that. I hope not but it just seems to me that the FO will milk Weav and K-Mo to the fans as long as they can and let Boras take them elsewhere at the end of their arb years. Part of me appreciates Moreno the businessman but Moreno the baseball owner, not so much. I would rather they try to trade Weav now to the Yanks as part of some package for Gardner to at least solidify the outfield in the next couple years with Gardner, Bourjos and Trout. I really like both Weav and K-MO but the way things have been going, I got a baaaad feeling about the future. Maybe I just need some of Arte’s cheap beer tonight. 🙁
aww man, i wasn’t aware of the fact that weav and k-mo were boras clients. damn, hopefully boras doesn’t find a way to screw us over again
This is madness.
I love Weaver and Morales. However, as they approach FA if they are looking for top dollars then I won’t be sad to see them go. You simply cannot build a winning team paying top dollars for top players. It doesn’t work unless you are the Red Sox or Yankees and have a payroll that can go north of $160m.
If it becomes clear that Weaver will test the FA market and if he is in-line for a $20m/year payday I say move him. Thank you very much for your time and contribution. We’ll find a better way to spend that $20m/year.
It was this same scenario with Lackey last off-season. If the average MLBTradeRumors poster was the Angels GM they would have kept Figgins, Lackey and Vlad. The team still wouldn’t have made the playoffs, they would have lost out on 4 1st round/supp round picks, and their payroll would have been $35m higher. Haren wouldn’t be on the club and we would all be moaning about how the team overspent for aging talent in their decline phase.
Smart GM’s spend their resources wisely. Loyalty to a player is not wise. Bidding against yourself is not wise. Painting yourself in a corner financially (ala Mets, Astros, Cubs) is not wise.
Draft picks don’t really help if all you draft is AAAA players.
actually dude, im a huge angels fan and wanted Beltre to come to the Big A, but im not sure the angels really should have gone 96mil for Beltre. It’s not like Beltre is just about to hit his prime or something, and maybe the money saved here can help resign our core players in the future, ala Weav, K-Mo, and sign someone better and cheaper next year.
And you’re right, I don’t know how the Rangers are going to keep Hamilton, Cruz, Andrus, etc, with Beltre’s salary. If we do end up stealing Hamilton, that would just be sweet.
not saying hes worth 16mill, but i think Beltre’s stats would in improve or at least stay the same when he moves into that hitter’s heaven they call Ballpark in Arlington.
Why’s that? He’s always been a better hitter on the road, even last year when he hit in hitter friendly Fenway. He won’t improve on last year, and i’d be shocked if he came anywhere close to hitting .330 again in his career.
I think an expectation of .290-.305 with 25hrs and 85 rbis is a fair expectation for the next 2-3 years. After that who knows what he’ll produce while getting 16 million dollars.
Here are the number of times Beltre hit those thresholds you mentioned over the course of his THIRTEEN year career:
BA north of 290 – 2 times (2004, 2010)
25 HR’s or more – 5 times (2004, 06, 07, 08, 10)
** more than 26 HRs – 2 times (2004, 2010)
85 or more RBI’s – 6 times
** more than 90 RBI’s – 3 times (2004, 2008, 2010)
Two things should stand out … over Beltre’s 13 years he has two outliers – 2004 and 2010. Call them career years, call them luck, call them whatever. Point is, they don’t fit the career trends. When you exclude those two years you see a guy who has been just OK with the stick while playing in some really crappy hitter parks.
Yes, he will benefit playing in Arlington. Yes, he is also at the age where you start to factor in regression based off age. Those could easily off-set each other in the first few years and really start to smart the last few years of the deal.
I think an expectation of .290-.305 with 25hrs and 85 rbis is a fair expectation for the next 2-3 years. After that who knows what he’ll produce while getting 16 million dollars.
He doesn’t have to do better at home than on the road to do well at home though. But I’m with you on doubting he hits near .330 again.
oh i thought you wrote .300, but yeah .330 no way. but im an angels fan, so the worse he does, the happier i am
Well, his lifetime average at Arlington (as an “on the road” opponent) is .306. If he comes within 90% of that at home, and consistently hits better than that on road, you are looking at a guy who will hit circa .290, with 25+ Hrs., 90+ RBI’s, a +5/+6 UZR/150 and a total WAR of around +5 to +6. According to the Fangraphs book, that would be worth upwards of $20MM per season, in terms of value.
What i meant was, this deal would maybe be reasonable for a team that is in desperate need of offense, which, even thought i don’t follow them Rangers extensively, know for a fact that they are not.
If it was a short-term deal maybe it would be reasonable with the lack of valuable players left in this years free agency, but the Rangers are going to be bogged down with Beltre’s salary when they try to resign their youner, more dynamic hitters in Hamilton and Cruz. Or maybe when they try to strengthen other parts of the team with future free agents. Just saying, for this price, this deal did not make sense. haha
you know cruz will be 31 this year right? only 1 year behind beltre in age..
It could also be about lacking (greatly) on 3B defense.
not saying hes worth 16mill, but i think Beltre’s stats would in improve or at least stay the same when he moves into that hitter’s heaven they call Ballpark in Arlington.
So who’s the next player the Angels miss out on?
I hear Brian Fuentes is available.
not the next best..sorry
It’s called a joke.
i know…it had to be givin u mentioned fuentes..lol
not the next best..sorry
Since the Angels missed out on Beltre, I think they should sign Scott Podsednik to play LF and be their lead off man. Also, the Angels should trade Trevor Bell, Juan Rivera, and Mike Napoli for David Wright. I don’t really think that trade will happen though.
the angels can have aramis ramirez..
All that trash for Wright? Juan Rivera?? Come on…when you come up with a trade proposal at least consider both sides, not just your own.
how about segura/amarista, trevor bell/reckling, rivera, aybar, romine, and jeremy moore for beltran and reyes, with the mets paying for some or most of beltrans contract. Then the angels try to sign an extension for reyes, if it falls through then trade segura/amarista, moore, and bell/reckling for beltran and cash
You could add Mike Trout to that package, and the Mets would still say no.
Haha maybe in Mlb the Show, but in real life I don’t think the Mets are giving up David Wright for a seriously declining Rivera, an average pitcher in Bell, and Napoli who’s a horrible fielder and hitter that only has homeruns going for him.
heck no if Rodney doesn’t return to form then Jordan Walden will become the closer
i still think thats a bad deal…why have a guy go to 1 inning only on games your winning…when he can at least give you two…in any situation…
future closer yes, but he doesnt need to be just that yet…
but as for rodney….damn…heart attack closer to say the least?
We get yet another reminder of the unselfish, utterly professional nature of one of the best teammates in the game, Michael Young. Too bad he won’t be able to come close to cutting it as a dh…
So now the Rangers will score on average 5-6 runs a game with a rotation that gives up 6-8 respectively, relax Ranger fans, I know the flukish numbers from last year but you truly are addressing the wrong aspects of your teams needs… oh well
That wouldn’t be anything new. They’ve always been a team that focused on mashers and couldn’t get pitching.
Do you honestly think the value of Beltre to the Rangers is as a “masher”?
this has the making of milton bradley signing .. yea its that bad
No offense intended, but which Milton Bradley signing/contract? Just asking 😉
the worst in cubs history.. didn’t know if it was common sense to just cubs fans.. others probably didn’t pay any attention to it
You’re talking on a Rangers thread about a former Rangers player that most of us didn’t want to see go. OUR signing of Milton Bradley was 5.25M and he gave us a 5.1 WAR performance with a .321/.436/.563 slash line. Clarification was needed. 😉
as bad as miltie in wrigley was, how can you say that’s the worst-ever over the Soriano contract????
more like someone along the line of james shields or price? 🙂
Adrian Beltre: The one person alive who doesn’t care that MegaMillion ticket sales ceased 2 minutes ago.
Maybe Arte and Tony can bring Scott Brocious out of retirement, he played for the yankees…
This bites for Young. He has to switch a position again.
he can’t hear you over his $16 Million
Agreed. Lets ask Michael which option is more preferable (1) $16 million to DH and play the infield a few times a week or (2) $8 million, what he is worth, to play 3b everyday? Don’t feel too bad for MY
I think Beltre’s “struggles” in Seattle had more to do w/ that cavernous ballpark than him just being a contract year player. I’m not expecting him to repeat the year he had last year, but I think he’s a very good player who can hit 5th and play gold glove caliber defense at third base. The length of the deal is a little scary, but the annual value isn’t too terrifying. I honestly feel much better about this deal than the one we were prepared to give Cliff Lee. And Michael Young’s deal will be coming off the books around the same time Cruz/Hamilton will be due for their FA contracts. If they can backload those deals, then they should still have plenty of room to resign everyone
I think this arguably gives TX the best defense in the game. I’m almost positive that every projected regular position player for the Rangers posted an above average UZR/150 last year. Moreland’s is right on the line, but he had a smaller sample size. He’s pretty good w/ the glove. That defense is really going to help Webb/Wilson/Lewis possibly silence some doubters next year at the top of the staff
And I’ve been leaning the other way on this for a while now…but I think I’ve changed my mind on the Rangers signing Soriano to close games and move Feliz to the rotation. That way, they’ll have 2 solid 2/3 guys in the middle of the rotation (Wilson/Lewis), and 3 guys w/ ace potential at the back of the rotation (Webb/Holland/Feliz). It multiplies their chances of unearthing a possible ace to replace Lee, and if they catch lightning in a bottle w/ just one of those guys the Rangers are going to be an extremely difficult team to beat next year. They can probably get Soriano at a slight discount at this point, sort of like what the Tigers did w/ Jose Valverde. Plus they can still resign Vlad for more depth as well if they’d like
And best of all, we’re slapping the Angels across the face r/n. Double that slap if Soriano comes to TX. I have nothing but respect for the Halos, but I do like to finish ahead of them in the standings 🙂
Feliz as a starter is scary..hes only got 1 pitch..he NEEDS 3 above average pitches to be a starter and he doesnt..keep him in the pen and teach him an offspeed pitch..
You must not be familiar with Nasty Feliz, he has a frisbee for a slider. His bread and butter is the four-seamer but according to baseball info solutions, he also throws a cutter, two-seamer, curve, and change.
Jon Daniels stated that Feliz will have to show he is an impact starter in ST (like CJ Wilson did last year) in order to switch to the rotation.
The Rangers do not need to sign Rafael Soriano and lose their 2nd Round pick. They have a very capable closer by the name of Frankie Francisco.
where was this cutter, curve, change, and slider last year? the only pitch he could reliably throw for a strike was his heaters.
You must not be familiar with Nasty Feliz, he has a frisbee for a slider. His bread and butter is the four-seamer but according to baseball info solutions, he also throws a cutter, two-seamer, curve, and change.
Jon Daniels stated that Feliz will have to show he is an impact starter in ST (like CJ Wilson did last year) in order to switch to the rotation.
The Rangers do not need to sign Rafael Soriano and lose their 2nd Round pick. They have a very capable closer by the name of Frankie Francisco.
Ok so now beltre is a ranger, and assuming that Texas will probably won’t sign vlad. Now, where do you think vlad will go? He expressed interest in all AL west teams. Does Anaheim/Moreno actually going to make a move or would A’s have interest in another bat?
Since the A’s already picked up Godzilla, I can’t see them in the hunt for Vlad. Depending on how much cash the Rangers still have, perhaps they move Young to 1B, sign Soriano to close, move Feliz to the starting rotation and still sign Vlad as DH? That might be a little much. Yeah, I can see Arte flinching and bringing back Vlad with a two year contract but I wouldn’t. Vlad was made for Arlington. He should take less money and pump up his numbers even more for eventual entry to the HOF (he should have that anyway but still this would help more than signing with the Angels).
rangers philosophy “outscore to win”
Last I checked if you score more, you do, in fact, win.
Ummm pitching wins championships.. Texas learned that the hard way..
I agree, pitching is what Texas needed. Not another masher. Mashing only goes so far when you can’t hit the pitcher.
Great defense helps you get to great pitching. Where is there a great ace that’s available right now? Nowhere, so you address problems, and 3B defense was a problem.
No.
Scoring more runs than your opponent wins championships.
That can be accomplished through great pitching, great hitting or a combination of both.
The Atlanta Braves would like to remind you of all their “championships” that featured Glavine, Maddux, Smoltz and Neagle/Avery.
Great Pitching Always Trumps Great Hitting.
No. It doesn’t.
Yes . Yes it does.
it indeed does
Sure it does, that’s why Halladay and Lee throw no-hitters every day and go 35-0 every season.
Oh, wait…
That is a completely inaccurate statement statistically. That does not disprove that great pitching beats great hitting.
First of all I thought it was fairly obvious that I was making a joke, second the comment was “Great Pitching Always Trumps Great Hitting” which is a foolish statement and if it were true great pitching would win every game and Wins would actually mean something. Instead a pitcher can pitch great and still lose or a pitcher can throw a “great” pitch right where he wants it and it can be driven out of the park for a home run. It happens semi-frequently. A better, more accurate, statement would have been “great pitching usually beats great hitting”
If great pitching ALWAYS trumps great hitting how do you explain Pujols’ career .391 AVG and .836 OPS against Tom Glavine, or his .500 AVG and 1.333 OPS against Verlander, or his .341 AVG and .919 OPS against Greg Maddux, or his .368 AVG and 1.105 OPS against Santana, or his .313 AVG and .935 OPS against Oswalt, or his .357 AVG and .900 OPS against Tim Lincecum? Did all of those guys just have bad days every time they faced him?
I think the SF Giants just proved that it does, although their bats really helped in the post season pitching is what got them there
Or, you know, improve run prevention.
Beltre’s 3B defense > Young’s 3B defense. So, in a sense, they did improve run prevention.
I think that was his point.
Hard to tell. If he was, then I’m just echoing.
Hard to tell. If he was, then I’m just echoing.
I think that was his point.
Beltre’s 3B defense > Young’s 3B defense. So, in a sense, they did improve run prevention.
Do you honestly think the value of Beltre to the Rangers is as a “masher”?
When’s the last FA that signed a multiyear contract as a bargain? If you play in the free agent game, most of the time, you overpay. Rangers have a new lucrative TV contract, new ownership with deep pockets, and since there’s no ace tree with aces falling out waiting to get paid, they need to address weaknesses. 3B defense was a huge one if you watched any Ranger game, and losing Vlad’s production will be one. Now, with this signing, you address those and Beltre’s gonna have to earn the 6th year with play in years 4 & 5 of the contract. This move also helps their pitching giving them an infield that boasts superior range and arms.
Mike Young should rebound with fresher legs and I could see him becoming a DH that gets back to his normal stats and be a Paul Molitor type player. He is a hit machine and wore down last year, instead of having his normal kick in Sept. Maybe this move allows him to have his usual tear down the stretch, instead of the huge decline Vlad had.
Point well taken. Signing premier FA’s almost never work out positively for the club in the long run. The question is how well the club can manage if/when the deal goes south. Teams like the Yanks and Red Sox seem to weather the storm fine. Clubs with payrolls under $120m … those deals can cripple them.
I think you are significantly overstating Young’s offensive contributions. He has posted an OPS above 800 ONE time in the past FOUR years. Young was a great hitter, but outside of 2009 he has been anything but for the past several years. Maybe playing 1B or DH helps him some. I doubt it. My guess is that you will be paying Young to DH, getting an OPS around 775, receiving maybe 1 to 2 WAR worth of value. All while paying the guy $16m a year for the next 3 years.
First the rangers try to make the angels outbid themselvs while the angels say there cautious about outbidding themselves then the rangers come in and outbid themselves with 26 more million $ guaranteed to beltre angels win on that deal
To think Beltre will get all those kind of numbers next year is foolhardy. Boston has a BIG wall where most of those doubles came from. Beltre being Beltre he will flop big time the next five years. It is an unecessary contract Texas won’t be able to shed.
That wall can also turn line drives into singles, and steal hrs as well as give you doubles.
You also have to hit the ball at leat 40 feet in the air to get it over said wall. It wouldn’t be unrealistic to think that as many of those doubles turn in to HR’s as singles. Not to mention the fact that not all of his double went to left or were even hit in fenway for that matter.
Boston has a big left field wall all those doubles bounced off of. To think Beltre will get anything near last years numbers is foolhardy at best
You do realize he’s moving from one hitters park to another.
I would say Texas is the best hitters park in the AL, but whatever.
I love this signing to be honest. Now for the Young trade. 😛
i guess nobody remembers what happened to beltre after the mariners signed him for so much. hes only good when hes motivated and it wont be a contract year for 6 years ahahhah 5 years of crap but dont worry he will have a solid season in 2016 🙂
I’m sure Safeco had nothing at all to do with that…
people say the worlds going to end from nuclear war well its not gunna, its going to end when boras has enough money to buy a team and he will start negotiating with himself that will be the end of the world. this seemed a lot funnier before i wrote it btw
Maybe the PED after effects will kick in and he’ll start breaking down….one can only hope!
very good signing after missing out on lee…now if webb can turn it around and beltre decides he wants to play like he can and not just in contract years this is a great signing..now we all know young is not the best DH guy, but he hits for a solid average and can give beltre, andrus, kinsler and probably their 1stbasemen a day off while keeping everyone’s bat in the line up. Or they could trade him while eating maybe half his contract and using that money to sign vlad or thome and have an every better batting order.
In 2004, Beltre was worth 31.4M & in 2010 he was worth 28.3M. Since 2002, every year except those two, he’s averaging a worth of 12.6M a year. Maths tell me that 5 years of 12.6M worth of play plus 1 year of 29.9M (the average of 2004 & 2010) worth should dictate a 92.9M contract for Beltre as long as his talent doesn’t suffer at all and he’s never injured. Under ideal circumstances, Texas still overpaid by 3M. All this really encourages my loathing of Scott Boras.
He was worth 12.6 mil a year in Safeco with the Seattle “offense” around him, this *should* be different.
This guy has a real knack for showing up when its time to get paid, then going back to his usual self
Stop with the overpay talk. Almost all free agents this year are overpaid. Werth, Crawford, Downs, Beltre…… Just be happy your ownership is trying to piece together a winning team. It could be a lot worse. You could be the Angels.
How do you slip in Downs amongst the Werth, Crawford and Beltre contracts?? lol
Another point that needs to be made: if Beltre only decides to turn it on in contract years, then why did he not have a monster year his last year in Seattle? Is it not possible that his numbers improved from moving to a team that actually had an all star lineup around him and played at a hitter’s park? He’s moving to a lineup and ballpark just as good as Boston’s in TX.
Another way of looking at it is if he comes out and has a really good year next year, then would he not get about a 5 year $80 mil deal as a 32 year old on the FA market next year? W/ the last year depending on a plate appearance incentive? That’s not far fetched to assume, especially in light of Werth’s deal. Even w/ a slight drop off in production, he could still be around a $20 mil a year player w/ all things considered (according to Fangraphs, Baseball Reference, etc).
he was hurt
What about in’02 and ’03? Both were essentially contract years (arbitration) and both were two of the worst years of his career. If he can just turn it on in contract years why didn’t he those two years instead of playing crappy and getting MUCH less than he could have? What we really have is a player who has done well in 40% of his contract years (2 of 5)
Young to the Twins with the Rangers covering a portion of his salary. Please. Right handed DH who can actually hit and play multiple infield positions is needed in Minnesota.
In his best case scenario, Young profiles as another Paul Molitar, so it would be fitting to see him end his career as a Twin.
Loved Morosi’s article on FoxSports today. O.C.=Oddly Comatose. Good stuff. Guess I’ll go about my business until the press conference later.
Congrats for Beltre. I like the man and think he’ll do well for a few years.
Is it just me or does Beltre not seem like the type of player who should end up north of $200 million in earnings at the end of his career? Looks like he’s going to. Boras has done well for him.
It’s funny how everyone thinks the Beltre signing was good, but if the Yankees were to sign him (which they don’t need him, but for example) it would be considered a horrible move because he’s on the verge of decline.
By “everyone thinks the Beltre signing was good,” are you referring to the small cross-section of people posting comments on this site who are excited that the Rangers brought in an elite defensive player coming off a very good offensive season? I think anyone who values both offense and defense would tell you that Beltre is good, but I don’t see many people lauding the signing, at six years and close to $100 million, as good value.
By the same token, most would agree that Carl Crawford makes the Red Sox better on the field next year, but any fan who is conscious of money and the impact that years and dollars have on future roster flexibility would have difficulty calling the signing “good” without the benefit of hindsight.
I’m not trying to suggest that the same applies to the Beltre signing but as far as the Crawford signing goes I would certainly say that it is a “good” signing (barring any injury but that can happen with any signing). You have to look at things in context, the Red Sox have over $50mil coming off the books after next season along with spots to fill in right field, closer, catcher, and DH with cheap pieces to fill in two of those spots they should have both financial and roster flexibility again almost immediately.
What I don’t get is why didn’t the Rangers just resign Vlad and keep Young at 3rd? That would have been much cheaper and offensively speaking, roughtly the same! But paying Beltre 16 mill over 6 years just doesn’t make any sense to me…
The offensive output between Vladdy/Young and Beltre/Young should be close to the same. This move is more about upgrading our infield defense by getting Young off of 3B.
I know that Beltre is a defensive upgrade as well, but at the same time, that’s a awful amount of money to spend just to do that! And if Beltre doesn’t preform like he’s expected to (which given his track record is entirely possible), it could really blow up in the Ranger’s face and damage them for years to come.
cant you say the same for an aging Vladdy who cant play the field? vlad wanted like 7 mill
beltre is always going to be good in the field, if he goes 280 20+hr 85+RBIs itll be ok, and he can produce that easily.
I know that Beltre is a defensive upgrade as well, but at the same time, that’s a awful amount of money to spend just to do that! And if Beltre doesn’t preform like he’s expected to (which given his track record is entirely possible), it could really blow up in the Ranger’s face and damage them for years to come.
how about being oh-so loyal to your beloved prospects and then not getting much for them once you fail to develop them
Assuming Soriano signs with a team other than the Tigers and Rangers and that Lopez signs a major league deal, the Sox would probably get picks 19, 26, 36, 41, 50 in a draft that should rival the 2005 draft.
In the 2005 draft, Epstein’s staff picked 23, 26, 42, 45, 47 and got Ellsbury, Hansen, Buchholz, Lowrie, and Bowden.
So there’s a good chance that in this next draft they’ll do even better than the 2005 haul.
Hopefully the Angels don’t sign Soriano so that way the Jays get a higher pick!
I am a huge Angels fan, and I am happy that they didn’t sign Beltre to this contract. Clearly Beltre is a very good defender and a better option than anything the Angels currently have at third, so he would have made the team better. But, Beltre isn’t worth this contract, and I would rather the Angels have that money to spend on other players, even if I don’t know who those players might be just yet. Maybe they will move Kendry to OF next year and make a play for Fielder or Pujols (maybe not). Either way, I am glad the Angels didn’t over-commit to Beltre. Other than taking him from the Angels, the move doesn’t make a ton of sense imo for the Rangers. Sure, Beltre makes them a better team, but they didn’t need him and he didn’t fill any holes. Now they are stuck overpaying Young a ton of money to DH or play utility and hope that Beltre plays like contract year Beltre for the next 5-6 years.
The Angels would have been better with Beltre, but I am glad they didn’t sign him to this contract. It’s super easy to dislike Boras, but you have to give credit where credit is due, he sold the Rangers Beltre (a player they absolutely don’t need) for more money and years than anyone else was willing to offer (if you count the vesting option). If I had to sell ice to eskimos, I would want Boras as my salesman.
Ya know. You can say “I’m glad we’re not under this deal” as much as you want, but in all reality, the market for these players is not going to come down, so at some point GM’s need to get comfortable with overpaying for certain players.
I’m not saying that this is a good contract for Beltre, but when Werth signed his massive deal, followed by Crawford signing his big deal, you had to believe that Beltre, coming off his monster year, was going to get an AAV of 15mm+.
Tony Reagins should have ponied up for one of Lee, Crawford, or Beltre. I know he would have been uncomfortable shelling out that much money for those contracts, but Beltre to the Rangers makes their offense astute which can hide their lack of pitching depth a little bit. The Sox got a lot better this year, as did the Tigers and White Sox, so the AL is going to have a lot of wild card contenders this year.
If I am an Angels fan, I’m upset with how Tony handled this offseason. He just doesn’t seem to be aggressive enough.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not stoked with the Angels’ offseason. They had several clear targets and failed on all of them. I think everyone was a bit surprised with the high values of the FA deals this year, and they would have been even higher had Cliff Lee taken top dollar. You are also correct that if you want a player bad enough, you may need to overpay for him. If the Angels were going to overpay though, I would have preferred it be for Crawford or Lee rather than Beltre (although they need offense more than pitching).
I think the Angels also reasonably thought that Beltre’s market was limited to a few teams and didn’t want to bid against themselves. It’s surprising to me that Boras was able to get Texas in on Beltre (it probably shouldn’t), and it probably surprised the Angels as well. I have never been sold on Beltre though, so I am not too heartbroken over this one. Crawford…that one was tougher.
The Angels would have been better with Beltre, but I am glad they didn’t sign him to this contract. It’s super easy to dislike Boras, but you have to give credit where credit is due, he sold the Rangers Beltre (a player they absolutely don’t need) for more money and years than anyone else was willing to offer (if you count the vesting option). If I had to sell ice to eskimos, I would want Boras as my salesman.
Beltre gets $14 million this year, $15 million in 2012, $16 million in 2013, $17 million in 2014, $18 million in 2015 and $16 million in 2016.
Wow. He knows were to pick his spots.
HAHA nice
HAHA nice
This a terrific deal for the Rangers. I would much rather have Young and Beltre than Young and Guerrero. We upgraded 3rd base, DH and utility infield all at once.
Yes, we overpayed a bit, but I feel OK that Beltre will be effective for most of the contract.
PLUS, even though we lost our #26 pick, we gained one losing Lee so we drop a few spots and gain Beltre. LIKE IT!
As much as I wanted Lee, I will take this over Lee’s Philly deal ANY day.
Maybe we’ll screw the Red Sox too by signing Soriano and letting the Rays have our first rounder instead!
Maybe we’ll screw the Red Sox too by signing Soriano and letting the Rays have our first rounder instead!
In 3 years time, jerseys with the name “Beltre” on the back will be the #1 seller at the Ballpark in Arlington. Now before I get hate about this, and “what about Hamilton/Cruz/Andrus….”, let me point out that Adrian Beltre, when signed, will be the 3rd Beltre on our 40man roster. Spring training and in 2012+ we will see Beltre pitch to Beltre, and being fielded by Beltre. Now in case you’re lost, that’s Omar pitching to Adrian/Engel with Engel/Adrian fielding the ball. Then in live games we will have 1/3 of the players on the field wearing Beltre jerseys
While I can’t agree with taking this deal over Cliff Lee, I cannot stress enough the importance of having a DH that has versatility.
DH’s like Ortiz and Vlad are not nearly worth as much as someone who can play in the line up every single day, whether at DH, 3B, 2B, or SS, and give players a break while not losing anything in terms of offense.
While I can’t agree with taking this deal over Cliff Lee, I cannot stress enough the importance of having a DH that has versatility.
DH’s like Ortiz and Vlad are not nearly worth as much as someone who can play in the line up every single day, whether at DH, 3B, 2B, or SS, and give players a break while not losing anything in terms of offense.
As a long time Angel fan, I feel oddly glad that they did not end up overpaying Crawford, Beltre or Werth. As we know from GMJ, those deals can handcuff a team for many years to come. I’m patient, another year of seasoning for the young guys (Morales, Kendrick, Bourjous, Trout), dead money dropping off the payroll after next year plus a couple of appropriate additions and they should be set up nicely for a very good season in 2012.
I don’t know about Crawford. I’m not included in any of the Angel’s closed-door meetings, so I’m not sure how much they had to spend coming into the offseason, but if the Angels did have the budget, i think they should’ve gone for Crawford. He was the perfect fit for the Halos, and unlike Beltre or Werth, he has barely hits his prime, if he has hit it at all. He certainly would’ve been nice addition to the Angels, he would provide Torii and Kendry with a someone who could consistently get on base. And Crawford’s fielding would be a really refreshing sight for Angel fans after watching Abreu drop flyballs and Matsui and Rivera’s subpar fielding. Imagine, Bourjous, Hunter, and Crawford. what could’ve been…
I like how some Angels fans are saying that they are happy about the non-signing of Beltre and how this kind of contract are handcuffing teams for the future… I’m sure that the Boston fans are ” disappointed ” to see their team landing Crawford as they were ” furious ” to see their GM landing Gonzalez and then sign him for 6-7 years after the first pitch of the season. I’m sure these fans are worried about ” handcuffing ” themselves for the future. I’m damn sure that the existing players ( Pedroia, Youkilis, Lester and Buchholz) are furious to see their team trying to be a perennial contender for years. Sorry Angels fans but the ” teams to beat ” in your league just improved a lot while your GM/Owner whiffed at the plate. You can’t ” handcuff ” your team for the future when you’re doing ” zip ” year after year.
There you go again with that crystal ball, assuming that every signing from this winter will be a home run for the team that signed them. At this point I don’t know, you don’t know, nobody knows. And what’s with all the “”?
It’s hard to hit a home run when you don’t take a swing, and the Angels have yet to take a swing this offseason. I would be surprised if they finished as high as 2nd in the AL West.
They may not, but I like them better than the A’s, even with their additions. I know their pitching was great last year, but I believe they over-performed. Also, pretty much every player on the Angels not named Weaver had a down year. If they all play as bad as last year, you are probably right. But I expect them (at least some of them) to have bounce back years and compete.
They may not, but I like them better than the A’s, even with their additions. I know their pitching was great last year, but I believe they over-performed. Also, pretty much every player on the Angels not named Weaver had a down year. If they all play as bad as last year, you are probably right. But I expect them (at least some of them) to have bounce back years and compete.
You are right that the BoSox got better (as did many other teams), and the Angels have not. The difference though is that Boston can take a contract that turns out bad and not worry about it because they are clearly prepared to spend Yankee money every year. The Angels have some money, more than most teams, but not Red Sox and Yankee money. Therefore, they have to be more careful about these crazy contracts. It’s a disappointing offseason for Angels fans for sure. Of course we would have liked to have all the top free agents sign with the Angels, but you also have to look at it from other perspectives and consider the monetary ramifications, both now and in the future. If the Angels were going to take a huge contract, I’d have preferred Crawford to Beltre. I am ok with Texas overpaying Beltre.
“they are clearly prepared to spend Yankee money every year”
And your evidence? Perhaps the fact that this is the only year in recent memory the Sox spent “yankee money”? One piece of evidence is too small of a small sample size to determine a trend. And even so, the money that the Sox spent is apx 100M less this offseason (including the rumored A Gon deal) than the recent yankees spending spree.
My evidence is in the payroll for the Red Sox for the last couple years. Sure, they could decide they are going to stop signing players to expensive contracts, but it doesn’t seem likely. In 2010, the Red Sox payroll was approximately $161M, and now they signed Crawford to that large deal and it seems they are intent on adding a huge A-Gon contract. Maybe the Yanks will outspend them in the future, but the Red Sox are right there with them in spending. My point is that most teams don’t have the luxury of not worrying about hefty, long contracts like the Yanks and Red Sox do, and to argue otherwise ignores the financial reality that the Yanks and Red Sox spend more than the other teams do.
“My evidence is in the payroll for the Red Sox for the last couple years.”
The Red Sox opening day payroll since 2004:
2010 – $ 162,447,333
2009 – $121,745,999
2008 – 133,390,035
2007 – 143,026,214
2006 – 120,099,824
2005 – 123,505,125
2004 – 127,298,500
As you can see, this is not a steady increase, nor does it show any real trend. What you’re not accounting for is the money coming off the books. They’re not just signing players on a whim and maxing out their credit cards. In 2011, the Sox have Beltre’s 10M and Lowell’s 12.5M to spend, and they spent it filling a 2012 need in Crawford, which all but makes up for his contract. Assuming they do sign Gonzalez to an extension, it will likely begin in 2012 because Gonzalez’s 2011 option was picked up by San Diego. In 2012, the Sox have Scutaro (5.5M), Cameron (7.75M), and JD Drew (14M) departing from the roster, which makes up for the proposed 20M owed to Gonzalez. They fill their need for a 3B with A-Gon at first and they fill their need for a corner outfielder with Crawford. When Scutaro leaves, Iglesias will take his place. And now the Sox can afford to use Kalish or Nava (maybe) at their other corner outfield spot without having to rely on both of them. They did not spend money for the sake of spending money. And lets not forget David Ortiz’s 12.5 coming off the books, too, which gives them money to spend on a DH in the future.
When you say things like they’re willing to spend Yankee money every year, that just isn’t true. The yankees spend money to buy the best free agents every year in the hopes that having all these top talents will give them a title. It has seemed to work well for them in the past. The Sox spend money while taking into account their future pressing needs. Yes, they have some money to spend. No, they won’t spend it just to spend it.
“Maybe the Yanks will outspend them in the future”
The yankees outspend them now. The Sox spent apx 100M less this offseason than the recent yankees spending spree in 2008-2009, and that includes the proposed A-Gon deal. The Sox aren’t breaking 200M for an opening day roster, no matter how you do the math, which is what the yanks spend every year.
Exactly. The Rangers CANNOT afford Beltre to not do well for the next 6 years, which means Beltre has to producing at this same rate at the age of 37. Don’t forget, the Rangers declared for bankruptcy last season, or the season before.
That’s true, but that group Nolan Ryan is a part of just bought them, so maybe they have a lot of money to spend on the franchise. I do not know the amount of money that group plans on spending every year, but they must be looking at raising payroll a bit.
Exactly. The Rangers CANNOT afford Beltre to not do well for the next 6 years, which means Beltre has to producing at this same rate at the age of 37. Don’t forget, the Rangers declared for bankruptcy last season, or the season before.
Why not shift Young to first and sign Vladdy back or maybe even Man-Ram? Now that would be a dirt McGirt team…
Why the heck would they sign Beltre, when they already have M Young who can match his production at 3rd? Beltre beats him with the glove, but young is no chump. Why not just sign Vlad back for 6-8 mil.
The Rangers agreed to pay Adrian Beltre $96 million over 6 years.
Adrian Beltre agreed to dog it for 4 years, play just hard enough in year 5 to prevent the Rangers from voiding year 6, and then subsequently play his heart out in year 6.