Carlos Beltran
59% owned in Yahoo, 59% in ESPN
Carlos Beltran is a recommendation that comes with a caveat. The 39-year-old has been swinging a hot bat of late, but his uptick in production has primarily come while occupying the DH spot vacated by an injured Alex Rodriguez. Since May 9, he is slashing .304/.347/.754 with eight homers and 19 RBI, fueling the New York Yankees offense.
However, A-Rod returned to the Yankees lineup on Thursday, and Beltran promptly struck out four times (for only the third time in his 19-year career, no less). He responded by swatting a home run in each of the following two games, but fans and media will probably continue to debate whether the veteran is more productive in the DH role for the next week or two.
Regardless of whether playing the field has a negative effect on Beltran’s performance at the plate, his numbers are still surprisingly solid so far this season. He owns a .263/.290/.537 slash line on the year and has shown that he still has power at his age, belting 12 round-trippers while driving in 31 runs.
If you need help in one of your outfield or utility slots, Beltran could be an appealing option. While it’s sometimes hard to trust older players, remember that he was arguably the Yankees’ most consistent hitter last year, slashing .295/.357/.505 from May 1 onward.
Next: Steve Pearce