Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz
rode off into the sunset at the end of the 2016 season after spending 14
historical years with the team. He can never be truly replaced but the lineup
will have a huge hole if a reasonable successor is not identified. Fortunately,
Boston seems to be hot on the trail of a tremendous candidate in veteran Carlos
Beltran.
Although no deal has been struck, rumors
persist that the Red Sox are one of a few teams thought to be in the lead for
the services of the soon-to-be 40-year-old. Despite his advanced age, Beltran
is an ageless wonder, much like Ortiz, and could be as seamless a transition as
the Red Sox could hope for.
Playing for seven teams over 19 major league seasons,
Beltran began as an outfielder but has seen more and more time at designated
hitter as he has gotten older. He has combined
for a .281 batting average, 421 home runs, 1,536 RBIs, 312 stolen bases
and one of the best postseason resumes in history (.323, 16 home runs and 41
RBIs in 55 postseason games).
Beltran kept chugging along in 2016. Playing in 155 combined
games with the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers, he hit .295 with 29 home
runs and 93 RBIs. This translated to a roster spot on the American League All
Star team. The switch-hitter is a real professional hitter and there is little
reason to believe he won’t continue to be productive moving forward.
The appeal of the free agent to the Red Sox should be
manifold. His experience and veteran leadership are obvious. That alone would
be immensely helpful in helping bridge from Ortiz, who was a once-in-a-lifetime
type of presence for the team. Also, given Beltran’s age, he will not require a
contract as exorbitant in years or money as some of the other designated hitter
candidates on the market such as Edwin
Encarnacion and Jose
Bautista.
If Beltran were to play any significant time in the field it
would mean something had gone very wrong with the team’s plans. Boston not only
has better defensive options but it is also the best way to keep him healthy. However,
he is still capable of logging some occasional innings with a glove if needed.
That kind of flexibility would provide infinite value, as the major question of
what returning pariah Pablo Sandoval
will be and what he can do in 2017 still remains completely to be seen.
Unfortunately, the Red Sox will face stiff competition in
attempting to lure Beltran to the Hub. The Yankees and Houston Astros are rumored
to be the other two teams with the most interest. Nearing the end of his
career, it’s likely that he is hoping to land in a situation that will garner
him his first World Series ring. Although that would seemingly take the
rebuilding Yankees out of the equation, he lives there and apparently loved his
previous time with the team. The Astros are chock full of young talent, but just
missed the playoffs in 2016 and have already made major
rumblings this offseason. They may be a team to watch in 2017 but then again
so are the Red Sox, who did make the playoffs this past year and won a World
Series as recently as 2013 with a deep roster and deeper pockets.
Boston may not need to make a lot of moves to get back to
contention next year. However, they do need to find a replacement for Ortiz;
especially someone who can come as close as possible to matching his production
and leadership. They will likely not find someone better equipped as Beltran,
so the ensuing weeks will be interesting to see if the Red Sox emerge as a
mutual match for his services.
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