Both the Phillies and Indians have varying levels of interest in Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Philadelphia’s interest is portrayed a bit more strongly in the report, whereas Morosi writes that “[a]t least some within the Indians organization would like to acquire Beltre,” who is familiar with skipper Terry Francona from the 2010 season with the Red Sox.
The Rangers’ stance as sellers on this summer’s trade deadline has been clear for weeks. Texas currently sits 12 games below .500 and an insurmountable 18 games out of first place in the American League West. They’re a similarly daunting 14.5 games out of the American League Wild Card chase.
While trade interest in Beltre figures to pick up as the deadline draws nearer, it’s not yet clear whether the 39-year-old Beltre will waive his 10-and-5 rights, which allow him to veto any trade scenario with which he is presented. Certainly, there’s a logical case to be made that given his age, Beltre would prefer to go somewhere with a chance to win a World Series ring. At the same time, he’s been with the Rangers since 2011 and undoubtedly has a comfort level with his teammates, the coaching staff, the city and Rangers fans. He’s earning $18MM this season — with approximately $9.77MM of that sum still owed to him through season’s end.
For the Phillies, it’s not difficult to see the appeal Beltre brings to the organization. Philadelphia third baseman have posted a lackluster .235/.300/.399 batting line so far in 2018, and their third basemen have been seven runs below average in the field according to both Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Runs Saved. There’s been little in the way of value provided from either Maikel Franco or J.P. Crawford, the latter of whom just went on the disabled list for up to six weeks after incurring a broken hand when he was hit by a pitch two days ago.
The Indians, meanwhile, have a less obvious need, considering the brilliance of Jose Ramirez, who has broken out as a full-fledged superstar over the past two seasons. Ramirez is hitting a ridiculous .291/.391/.611 with 22 homers, 20 doubles, a triple and 10 steals (in 12 tries) while playing strong defense at third base. However, Ramirez is also a more-than-capable second baseman, and the Cleveland organization has received virtually no production at that position from former star Jason Kipnis (.208/.282/.328 in 295 plate appearances). Acquiring Beltre would allow Cleveland to shift Ramirez to second base.
Clearly, Beltre isn’t the player that he once was. But the future Hall of Famer has still notched an impressive .302/.357/.428 slash with three homers, nine doubles and a triple so far through 182 plate appearances. However, he’s also had a pair of DL stints this season due to hamstring strains and has begun to see more time at designated hitter as a means of keeping his legs healthier. That could limit some of his appeal to an NL club such as the Phillies, though with Crawford, Franco and Scott Kingery on the roster, the Phils have the depth to rest Beltre a couple of times per week should they deem it necessary.
Maybe Philly or Cleveland goes after Moose if they can’t land Beltre.
Tribe’s front office first has to summon the stones to sit Kipnis on the bench (where he belongs) despite his $15M salary. If they are serious about the post season, that decision needs to be made, and then go get an impact 3B.
I agree, but I also don’t think it’s just the salary that’s the reason he still plays. The Indians (and Francona in particular) are really loyal to their veterans, and I personally think that’s why he keeps getting time.
Josh Tomlin (who’s only making about $3 million if I’m not mistaken) still has a roster spot even though he’s been absolutely terrible all year and the metrics say he’s actually that bad. I doubt they’d get rid of him just like I doubt they’d bench Kipnis. But I’d welcome either.
Francona was loyal to his veterans in Boston so it makes sense that he’ll continue that philosophy in Cleveland.
Lol FIP has Tomlin over 8. He’s been fortunate to carry his ERA in the mid 6’s. I can’t see any reason to keep him around but I guess he’s thrown some postseason innings and francona is loyal as you said. Not much to like there.
I’m in the minority apparently but I think Kipnis should start atleast until the deadline. He’s shown too much talent in the past and also is known as a guy who can go on an absolute tear in the second half. Plus he’s essentially the team captain so worst case the team uses him as a center fielder against righties.
Not to mention over the last month he’s hitting .264/.309/.462 which is definitely serviceable and trending in the right direction.
It’s a marathon not a sprint people.
Braves need to be all over him
No
Why not? Swanson sucks, Camargo can play some short. Beltre can get hot and fit in nicely between freeman and markakis.
in what planet does Swanson suck? he’s playing great defense, his plate discipline has improved vastly over last year. He is not a .325 20 HR hitter and he will never be. But he can be a .275 12 HR guy that is dependable on defense. Beltre is not an everyday 3B and he’s also not the type of player that can sit for a couple of days and not miss a beat at the plate. He should go to an AL team where he can DH part time.
His plate discipline is bad. Worse than last year. He cut his walk rate by 3% and added another 4% to his K rate. In no way has he taken a step forward in the plate discipline department. He’s a serviceable SS as is but he has lots of holes in his game.
Beltre’s a risk. All it takes is another tweak in the hamstring and then you’ve wasted prospects on a guy who’s missing 6-8 crucial weeks in the playoff hunt.
says the cubs fan supporting darvish
Who said I supported Darvish? That’s irrelevant to my point, which is that teams should be wary of trading prospects for a rental with a serious risk of getting re-injured and missing time.
What the hell does his or her team and username have to do with that comment? He’s making a valid point.
Ok so you make a lot of sense, if your a fan of a team your going on hate one of the players on it? hahaahah
Doofus
Not that your post had anything to do with the original posters point, but nobody is going to be trading for Darvish like they are for Beltre
The rangers will do whatever Beltre wants. They have a enough respect for him to let him dictate where he wants to go. They also don’t want to harm the relationship bc they want him in a rangers hat on his HOF plaque
Don’t be fooled about “respect”. It’s because of his 10 and 5 rights, meaning Beltre can block any trade he wants.
They respect the 10-5.
Exactly. I see multiple teams inquiring but between the money owed and his recent injuries. not much in a return. Not sure if I’m being realistic in that I’d love for him to go to Boston and work with Devers.
Rangers can easily say “it’s Cleveland or nobody.” And at 39 years old and wanting one more trip to the playoffs… I bet Beltre takes it.
The Hall of Fame picks the logo on the plaques now, btw. The players used to have the final decision but after the Winfield thing the Hall decided to take over that part of the induction.
What was the Winfield thing? I don’t know this as fact; I just assume: The HOF has always been inconsistent. They took over the who wears what cap decision after Nolan Ryan chose to be a Texas Ranger.. They do allow some players who had split careers such as Dave Winfield, Greg Maddux, and Randy Johnson. Winfield chose his first team, the Padres. Johnson chose the team he had the most success, the D-Backs and Maddux chose to go in with no cap. Gary Carter wanted to wear the Mets logo but the HOF didn’t give him a choice. Carter wears the Expos cap.
Then-Padres ownership paid Winfield a tidy sum to pick their hat for his HOF plaque, and also – wink, wink – to man an empty front office chair. The transaction was not transparent and was marketed in San Diego for a while.
The HOF saw what could flow from that and announced they would exercise their own hat choices going forward.
Texas can’t expect a significant return.
Then nobody gets Beltre and he stays a Ranger.
Only if he wants to stay. My guess is they will try to accommodate him if such is possible.
Hey. Does anyone have ideas on what reds will do?
Hold on to everyone for about 2 seasons too long and then wonder why they are still rebuilding is my best guess.
This
You totally nailed that. They need to be fielding offers for Gennett NOW, but instead I’m sure they’re sitting around conjuring up justifications for keeping him.
Zona could use Scooter.
Good one!
Keep losing?
Cleveland is gonna be in the same boat next year, not to mention they’re lucky to be in the worst division in baseball this year.
With their starting pitching? Ain’t happening. But you keep trying, maybe one day you’ll get it right.
Indians will sink to the bottom of the Central next year, they are poorly managed and Francona is going to hang it up after the year is over because he even sees how bad this team is going to be next year.. They may have decent pitching but they have no hitting outside Lindor and Ramirez after this season. 70 win team next year. Enjoy the sweep out of the playoffs by the Yankees this year.
Someone has to wrestle that division from Cleveland.
– Not going to be KC
– Probably not going to be Chisox
– Most likely not going to be Detroit
– Minnesota hasn’t taken that next step
Cleveland might be able to hang on for another division title by depending on pitching. Had their bullpen stepped up this year they’d be laughing in the Central right now.
Hahahaha…..hahahaha…..hahahaha. Yes, I’m laughing at you, not your comment.
Look to trade scooter and look for an over pay for everyone else
Hahah. Also I have one other question. With Smyly and Edwards returning along with Darvish and Chatwood possibly being dropped to the bullpen.. does anyone see the Cubs trading someone like Anthony Bass, Brian Duensing, Cory Mazzini, etc for some prospects with their depleted farm?
Well, I know they wouldn’t trade players with present value to their club since they are in the playoff hunt. If they aren’t valuable now, then they won’t fetch prospects in a trade since they are bullpen arms. Haven’t looked into their stat lines this season tbh
Probably not. The bullpen depth will be incredibly value in October
I understand. I am also a die hard Cubs fan.. but there is limited people they could bring and with Smyly and Edwards coming back along with chatwood possibly being dropped that’s to many guys for a playoff roster you can have limited pitchers. Why not at least try to sell one or of your middle bullpen pitchers to help a little with your farm. The Cubs seriously have like 13 bullpen pitchers all with under 4 ERA
Injuries tend to sort out these situations, and at some point it’s even possible that the Cubs will need more bullpen depth. Plus, as the season wears on, relievers will show their true colors, which will make the playoff roster construction a bit simpler. When October rolls around, Maddon will trust only a handful of relievers, and you don’t want to put yourself in the situation where you’re missing that clutch guy because you traded him away in July.
True. They do need to do something about their farm though
The prestige of a farm system is an ebb and flow. Sure, their farm system right now is at rock bottom, but that’s also because quality youngsters like Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ, Kris Bryant, et al. have graduated to the majors. The Cubs have roughly 2-3 years before they have to make decisions about which players to extend. By that point, they will hopefully have developed enough prospective talent so they don’t have to do a complete rebuild again.
valuable*
Anthony Bass? Lol signed a cub fan
I’m an Angels fan and I will protest any trade involving Beltre to another team . Dude is a legend and needs to stay in Texas
lol
Im both a phillies and angels fan, I think he would be the perfect rental for the phillies. A young club who needs a veteran presence like his. Could give them a boost and possible win the east or take the first wildcard.
If I’m Braves I offer Lucas Sims and Wisler and asking for cash back
I know Beltre isn’t going to bring a haul back but that’s not enough.
I personally think that’s more than enough
Yeah that’s probably enough for half a season of an injury prone good but not great 3B at this point. Hall of fame career and he’d be a nice veteran addition to a lineup but that’s not going to bring much back. Sims is an interesting arm and a change of scenery could help wisler become a back end starter. Rangers may want a dart throw 18 year old prospect instead of wisler but that’s anyones guess. I wouldn’t expect the return to be any better.
Wisler is a batting practice pitcher and Sims may turn out to be serviceable but he’s sucked so far in the majors. I get there’s a certain value in the control those guys might have but I feel somebody will offer up a more intriguing prospect.
Wislers been pretty good this year.
Way more than enough for a guy push 40, can’t play everyday and isn’t the best 3B left on the market at the deadline.
Voice of reason..thanks
Beltre makes 18 million as well…. he’s not exactly a cheap option to add. If the Rangers eat some salary they may get a better prospect package but they certainly won’t if not.
nobody wants our failed prospects in exchange for their hall of famer
Tribe doesn’t need him. They have the best 3B in baseball. They could play Erik Gonzalez, who is a better defender and currently better hitter, at 2B, but Francona is stuck on the “play the veteran” thingy.
Ramirez to 2B and Kipnis to the bench is a great move. Gonzalez seems to flubbing one play after the other in the field.
And then when Beltre gets hurt again, then what? They’re out whoever they traded for him.
Really? Then why ever make a trade than worry about what ifs? While he has missed some time this year and last year, he’s a gamer and plays every night he can. A trade to a contender and get around guys like Encarnaccion can do wonders to rejuvenating a guy. He won’t cost much and is still productive when playing, the window is closing so time to go for it.
Why? Because he had a serious injury history. You and I both know the Tribe won’t add that kind of money to the payroll and sit Kipnis, considering how much he’s paid.
You have to take risks to win.
The tribe in particular won’t add 9+ mil for Beltre. If the rangers eat most of that salary he could be an option but that’d mean giving something of consequence up.
Because they are a losing origination like all the ones in Cleveland. Lebron is leaving as soon as he can, the Brown are a joke and Francona will be gone after this season….70 wins at most for them next year.
It’s the “play the veteran who’s making $15M this year” thingy. Kipnis should have been benched a couple years ago and left there until he decided to start hitting against the shift instead of directly into it when he isn’t striking out. I get that Kipnis is a solid citizen, great personality, great teammate, lovable guy, etc, etc, but his defense has eroded, and his offensive consistency never materialized.
Kipnis was a 4.5 win player back to back as recently as 15 and 16. He hasn’t been horrible for years. It’s understandable he’s been given a leash to work with considering the salary and pedigree. At some point in the near future a decision will have to be made if he continues not hitting but I don’t think you can kill the indians over this yet.
i’d love for the braves to snag beltre. i feel like he would mesh very well with this young team.
Beltre for Ricardo Sanchez & Sims
No, no, no, and no. We do not need to be acquiring a guy like Beltre.
Huh? Play the freaking prospects. Why block them with a 39 yr old?
Another brain dead move from the Phillies think crew.
Philly should not be buyers unless they get hot the next 4 weeks, either leaving them in first place or within a game of first. Stay the course.
Given AA’s comments during the Toronto series, it looks like he prefers guys Snit can put in the lineup every day. If Beltre’s not healthy, then he wouldn’t fit that. Moose would.
I’m not sold on Camargo as anything other than a super-utility guy, but he’s actually playing better offensively than I thought: OPS+ of 109, walking 14% of the time. If he can maintain that, along with the good D, they don’t need Moose. Let Camargo play 3B for the rest of the season so Riley gets more of a chance to show he can mature at the plate.
If I’m your team, I give the Rangers whatever they want for Beltre.
Does anyone actually see someone who has a big name such as hand, Machado, etc actually moving