EVAN, 8:47 PM Someone pinch me… feels like I’m dreaming. Peter Gammons reports the Red Sox have inked Beltre to a one-year deal worth $9 million, with a player option for an additional $5 million. (Roche concurs.)
Not only do the Sox get a vacuum at third, they get someone who can contribute above-average offensively, the poor 2009 season notwithstanding. The move to Fenway should greatly help matters. Beltre is quite similar to Mike Cameron offensively — generally good for around 20 home runs, 10 stolen bases, a .250-.270 batting average and iffy plate discipline. For the price the club signed him at, it is a flat out steal.
Why would Beltre accept one year? Simple. Because of his time in a pitcher’s park that is Seattle, he had seen his value drop precipitously to the point where no one was willing to give him the contract Scott Boras wanted — a three- or four-year deal worth at least $10 million annually. Beltre’s .265/.304/.379 line scared a lot of people off, although he was hobbled by injuries most of the year. In June, he had surgery for a bone spur then — guys, brace yourselves — fractured his testicle in August.
Beltre gets to re-establish his value on a contender making around the annual salary he had hoped to get in multiple years. He can go back on the market next year at age 32 after having done so and get a better long-term deal than he was fielding currently. If he fails with the bat yet again, he protects himself with a player option for $5 million… but at $5 million, the Sox will certainly take that risk.
Make no mistake about it: having someone of Beltre’s defensive wizardry and potential not to embarrass himself at the plate at a scant one-year deal is tremendous.
I’ll leave you with his home/road splits over the last three years:
2009: .250/.283/.364 home, .279/.324/.393 road
2008: .230/.303/.400 home, .292/.349/.512 road
2007: .264/.319/.426 home, .288/.320/.538 road
LEE, 8:25 PM Peter Abraham reports that The Red Sox have agreed on a deal with third baseman Adrian Beltre
Peter Gammons is reporting that Beltre would be paid $9 million in 2010. The option would be worth $5 million. In essence, it’s a two-year deal with an opt-out after one year.
All in all, Beltre at this price for even one year is a great addition to the Sox defensively. We’ll take a look at Beltre’s offensive production shortly, but defensively the upgrade at third base is spectacular.
More to come as things roll in.