The Case for Trading Carlos Beltran

Carlos Beltran has been one of the team’s hottest hitters this month and a huge factor in the Yankees’ climb back into the fringes of contention, slashing .299/.333/.649 in May. He has been New York’s primary power source this season, leading the club in home runs, slugging percentage, and ISO. It may not be a coincidence that this recent surge coincided with a move to full-time DH after Alex Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury. The 39-year-old Beltran has been severely miscast as a full-time outfielder in 2016, already costing the team 1.0 dWAR according to Baseball-Reference’s metric. He is basically immobile in right field, and the presence of fielding wizard Aaron Hicks on the bench makes his work with the glove all the more frustrating.

With A-Rod’s return to action, Beltran will go back to receiving the lion’s share of playing time in right. The problem is that Beltran’s defense is so bad at this point, he’s giving back most of the runs he’s creating with his bat. Hicks is just one of several young outfielders in the system who have been making a compelling case for more playing time. Jake Cave, Ben Gamel, Rob Refsnyder, and even Aaron Judge have not only been tearing the cover off the ball in the upper minors, but every one of them would likely provide a several win defensive upgrade over Beltran the rest of the way just by being average.

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The Yankees’ recent winning streak have quieted the speculation that they will tear the team down and sell at the deadline, but it may make sense to sell on Beltran even if they remain in contention. His gaudy offensive numbers could entice a team into surrendering a decent prospect or two, especially an American League club with an opening at DH. There is no chance New York makes a qualifying offer to Beltran following the season, so this may be their only opportunity to get something in return for him.

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While Beltran’s no-trade clause has been seen as an obstacle to dealing him, Buster Olney of ESPN recently reported that there are 15 teams the Yankees can trade him to without his consent, including the Indians, Nationals, Royals, Cardinals, Rays, Tigers, and Dodgers. The Royals make a lot of sense as a team on the edge of the playoff race who may be looking to add some punch to their lineup. It also doesn’t hurt that Beltran played many of his prime years in Kansas City and would surely be a draw for fans. Their current DH, Kendrys Morales, is one of the big reasons for their sluggish offense, hitting .187/.247/.313 in the early going.

With New York trying to balance between contention and rebuilding, they may find that trading Carlos Beltran in the next month or two could be beneficial for both. Not only will the prospects he brings back help with the rebuilding effort, but it’s very possible that the Yankees’ internal options will outproduce him the rest of the way.