Toronto Blue Jays Could Revisit Carlos Beltran Interest
By Tim Haberin
With some key members of their lineup eligible for free agency, the Toronto Blue Jays could consider adding a veteran bat they targeted at the trade deadline.
The high-powered Toronto Blue Jays offense could be in a major state of flux this offseason, with sluggers and franchise mainstays Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion both eligible for free agency. Michael Saunders, who had a surprisingly good year at the plate, can also fly the coop.
While the Jays would certainly like to keep their lineup intact, that will be a tough hill to climb, and given the age and recent injury trouble with Bautista in particular, you could debate how advisable that is. In any case, Toronto will need to keep its options open in shaping its offense during the offseason. They might consider to revisiting a trade deadline target, for instance.
According to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, the Blue Jays were interested in acquiring Carlos Beltran over the summer and almost nabbed him before the Texas Rangers completed a deal for the veteran outfielder with the New York Yankees.
“We saw Beltran over the years with the Yankees, and what a great hitter he was,” Jays manager John Gibbons said. “A clutch-type perfomer.” As Fraley notes, Toronto elected to focus on pitching instead, trading for starter Francisco Liriano and reliever Joaquin Benoit prior to the August 1 deadline.
However, Beltran – who turns 40 years old next April – has indicated his desire to continue playing, and though he has expressed an affinity for the Rangers, he will be available for the Blue Jays or any other team to sign this offseason. Depending on what happens with their impending free agents, it could be an interesting angle for Toronto to approach.
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Despite his age, Beltran was startlingly productive this year, which made him a hot-ticket item at the deadline. Between the Yankees and Rangers he slashed .295/.337/.513 with 29 home runs and 93 RBI. His .850 OPS was his highest since 2011 when he posted a .910 mark. The 29 homers were also his most since belting 32 long balls for the Cardinals in 2012.
Beltran can definitely still hit, but he has become something of a liability in the outfield. Of the 151 games he played this year, he spent 73 of them as a designated hitter, and it would probably be best for him to maintain a full-time DH role moving forward. An American League club like the Jays can provide him that. If Encarnacion departs, Beltran could move into his primary DH spot quite seamlessly.
On the financial side of things, Beltran would presumably be a one-year commitment, meaning the Blue Jays wouldn’t be locked into a multi-year deal like most of the other big bats on the market would demand. However, that also means they would need to revisit the issue again a year from now.
Beltran makes sense for a team that believes it can compete for a championship next year. Having lost in the ALCS for the second straight season, the Jays will hope they can be there again in 2017. But given the uncertainties they’ll be facing in the coming months, there’s no guarantee what the squad will look like in the spring.