Yankees Should Steer Clear of Signing Carlos Beltran

With the Yankees generating interest in 39-year-old Carlos Beltran, all signs point to a swift resolution to the Brian McCann saga.

Well, it looks like the final four teams lined up for the services of Beltran all reside in the American League, where they can equally take advantage of his still impactful bat while staying away from his waning defensive abilities. Those teams consist of the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Astros, and Yankees.

Surprisingly enough, the team whom the Yankees traded Beltran to on Aug. 1, the Rangers, have little to no interest in a reunion. During his 52 game stint in Texas, Beltran performed admirably, batting .280/.325/.451 with seven home runs and 29 RBI.

Unfortunately, for Jeff Banister’s bunch, Beltran’s presence in the middle of the Rangers’ lineup wasn’t enough to propel them past the AL Wild Card-winning Blue Jays.

The Astros underachieved in a big way in 2016, finishing third in the AL West at 84-78, a year removed from making the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Their interest in Beltran most likely stems from their dearth of veteran leadership — and let us not forget the monster 2004 Postseason he had in Houston as a member of the ‘Stros. I’m sure Beltran would relish another opportunity to mash in that hitter-friendly ballpark once more.

The Red Sox have been the most heavily linked to the former nine-time All-Star, as they clearly have a void to fill at DH now that David Ortiz has retired. Reports have stated that the club could also use Beltran sparingly in right field to give Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and/or Andrew Benintendi a day off here and there — though I believe this would be a huge mistake as Beltran’s range is all but kaput. This fact would only be further exploited by Fenway Park’s treacherous right field dimensions where singles turn into triples.

As for the Yankees, I’m honestly flabbergasted that they are even entertaining the idea of bringing back Beltran, who spent the better parts of three seasons on the DL while as a member of the Yanks. I’m not sure if this is some kind of subterfuge by GM Brian Cashman to force Boston to overpay for Beltran (which if it is, great), but plugging in a 19-year veteran makes little sense in terms of the Yankees’ big picture.

While I can surely get behind the premise that Beltran back in the Yankee clubhouse would enact a calming effect among the Baby Bombers, I don’t see it translating quite as well on the field. For one, it would mean the end of McCann, who absolutely holds more value as a backup catcher and much younger left-handed power bat.

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Secondly — while I’ve already touched upon Beltran’s lack of defensive prowess, having him in the lineup, even three out of every six contests will take precious at-bats away from inexperienced players the Yankees are still trying to get a read on going forward (Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Tyler Austin, etc).

Lastly, Beltran is a money player. I wrote about this way back in June when he was making a push for the AL All-Star team. He simply shines brightest when money is on the table via an upcoming free agency period. And yes, he had a very nice year in 2016, .295/.337/.513, 29 home runs and 93 RBI. But at 39, his body is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. That’s why it’s much more likely we see a repeat of 2014 (Beltran’s first year in pinstripes) when he only suited up in 104 games due to a wide variety of ailments. That season, with three-year, $45M contract in-pocket, Beltran limped along to a .233 BA, 15 HR, 49 RBI performance.

So unless the Yankees or any other of the aforementioned clubs are able to talk Beltran into multiple one-year incentive laden deals, they’re likely setting themselves up for a treacherous span of time.

Look, I’m appreciative of Beltran and what he’s accomplished over his long accomplished career. He’s a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer. But a 39-year-old DH is not a good fit with this current Yankees team. This organization is trying to create a new and invigorating identity, which will only become possible by playing the kids day in and day out. Beltran’s presence, even at 75% of what he once was is enough for manager Joe Girardi to consistently plug him into the lineup, especially in clutch situations.

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While Beltran’s WAR last season with the Yankees was still 1.7, I’d rather see his playing time go to the guys that may one day propel this club back to Postseason glory. Sadly, that likely won’t happen this upcoming season, so Beltran is better served going elsewhere.

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