Beltre to Red Sox

Sources: Red Sox reach deal with Beltre


Comment Email Print Share <script type="text/javascript"> var stobj = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title:"Sources:%20Red%20Sox%20agree%20on%20deal%20with%203B%20Beltre", url:"http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=4795915", published: "2010-01-04" }); stobj.attachButton(document.getElementById("espnstlink")); </script>
<cite class="source"> ESPN.com news services
</cite>
<!-- begin story body --> <!-- template inline -->Free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre has reached tentative agreement on a one-year, guaranteed, $10 million contract with the Boston Red Sox, multiple sources have told ESPN.com and ESPNBoston.com
The deal will pay Beltre a base salary of $9 million in 2010. It includes a $5 million player option for 2011 and a $1 million buyout, and is contingent upon Beltre passing a physical exam, the sources said.
A source told ESPNBoston.com's Gordon Edes last week that even after the Mike Lowell trade with Texas was nullified by the Rangers, the Red Sox had quietly continued their pursuit of Beltre through agent Scott Boras.
The Orioles and Angels were also thought to be interested in Beltre.
The Orioles did sign infielder Garrett Atkins, but that did not seem to preclude them from moving on either Beltre or free-agent first baseman Adam LaRoche. The Angels lost their third baseman, Chone Figgins, to Seattle, Beltre's former team, and while they have indicated they plan to give in-house candidate Brandon Wood a crack at the job, they might have turned to Beltre if his asking price had dropped.
The Athletics were thought to be interested but dropped out of the bidding, an industry source told Edes. Oakland could use a third baseman given the ongoing health problems of incumbent Eric Chavez.
The abortive Lowell deal complicated matters, since the Red Sox are obligated to pay Lowell $12 million in 2010. The proposed deal with Texas had called for them to pay $9 million of his salary to the Rangers in exchange for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.
Beltre was paid $12 million in 2009, the last year of the five-year, $64 million deal he'd signed as a free agent with the Mariners. Beltre was offered salary arbitration by the Mariners, but declined.

Not sure I like what the Sox have done this year. Maybe they are counting on Adrian Gonzalez.

Didn't he have a Shoulder problem last Year ??

Not sure about this one.

The Sox are reacting to Skanks.

Been there, done that in the 90s under Duquette.

No plan- just patchwork.

Beltre gets 10 mill for one season..last year he played in 111gms and had 8 HRS with 44RBIs.

10 MILL Guaranteed. Geez.

2PLAYSMAX said:

Beltre gets 10 mill for one season..last year he played in 111gms and had 8 HRS with 44RBIs.

10 MILL Guaranteed. Geez.

Click to expand...

Yea agreed , Sox tryin to add big names. Could have got a lot more for the money IMO

Beltre sucks now, some questionable decisions by the sox this offseason.

I don't know what is going on with Theo. Guy was a wunderkind when he first showed up for duty. But lately, yuck.

I'm glad we have our WS drought out of the way, because this stuff would drive me up the wall usually.

They won't give Bay a few more million but they sign Beltre. Also they won't give Bay 5 yrs but they give it to Lackey. I just don't get it. I like the approach of, grow your own pitching and buy bats, better than this b.s.

Isn't $10 million a lot even to these people?

Patchwork can sometimes work brilliantly. That describes the entire 2004 infield. More often it ends up like last years $10 million investment on Penny and Smoltz

Now the Sox are trying to move Lowell to the Mets for Castillo.

GREAT MOVE IMO IN SIGNING THE FUTURE hall of famer...

shiz said:

Now the Sox are trying to move Lowell to the Mets for Castillo.

Click to expand...

whered you hear this? the Mets would make this move in a heartbeat if it was offered. theyd dump Castillos contract, move Lowell to first and sign Orlando Hudson.

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com says he heard the Mets and Red Sox have talked about swapping Mike Lowell and Luis Castillo.

not sure why the Sox would ever do this thought. Castillo's contract is worse than Lowells....

Lugo, Drew, and Beltre are just BAD BAD signings.

They don't sign people over a couple of million (Bay, Damon, Gonzalez) but have no problem throwing away $10-$20 million on overpaid has-beens like Penny, Smoltz, Beltre, Renteria, Lugo, Drew, and even Lowell.

I think Beltre will help them this year....

Even though they failed to trade Mike Lowell, that didn’t prevent the Red Sox from picking up their next third baseman. According to a baseball source, Adrian Beltre has agreed to terms with the Sox on a one-year deal, with a player option for a second year, to take over the starting job.

Beltre’s decision came down to a couple of West Coast teams (reportedly the Angels and A’s) and the Sox, but Boston won out at a price far lower than agent Scott Boras had anticipated at the start of the offseason. Peter Gammons of the MLB Network reported the contract was for $9 million, with the option worth $5 million. It also has been reported there is a $1 million buyout of the deal. The contract is contingent on a physical.
Boras proved prescient at the winter meetings on the subject of the Sox and Beltre when he said, “I think in infield play that there are certain third basemen that certain clubs want to move or transfer from another position, and that creates opportunities for Adrian.’’

Despite general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona’s insistence that the team would be comfortable entering the season with Casey Kotchman as the first baseman, that won’t come to pass, as Kevin Youkilis will stay at first. The Sox instead went out and added the best third baseman on the market, picking up a player who hit 48 home runs with the Dodgers in 2004. However, he never has hit more than 26 homers in any other season.



The move is in line with the Sox’ stated desire to improve their run prevention. Beltre is an above average fielder, earning a 14.3 ultimate zone rating according to fangraphs.com. Contrast that with Lowell’s minus 10.4 UZR (or just ask a scout), and it’s clear the Sox have dramatically upgraded their defense at the position for 2010 and possibly beyond.



Adding Beltre to the infield, Mike Cameron to the outfield, and John Lackey to the starting rotation were all moves based on Epstein’s dissatisfaction with the team’s defense in 2009. While the offense hasn’t exactly been upgraded, and most likely took a step back with the subtraction of left fielder Jason Bay, Epstein and the Sox clearly believe the changes to their defense and rotation will negate the inconsistency the Sox offense struggled with in 2009.



After beginning his career with the Dodgers, reaching the majors at 19 years old, Beltre spent the past five seasons with the Mariners. In Seattle, Beltre had a batting average of .266 with a .317 on-base percentage. He hit 103 homers and drove in 396 runs in those seasons, including a 2009 campaign shortened to 111 games by injuries to his shoulder and testicle.

The signing further confirms that the Sox have soured significantly on the ability of Lowell to play consistently. After the Sox nearly traded him to Texas for backup catcher Max Ramirez (and agreed to eat $9 million of his $12 million deal), Lowell had surgery to repair his thumb in December. While the Sox have said Lowell will be recovered by the beginning of spring training, that has not made them any more eager to have him play a significant role.



According to a major league source, Lowell will stay on the trading block through spring training. It remains to be seen whether any team will take a chance on the third baseman, who will turn 36 in February, given how much the Sox have devalued him this offseason.



Beltre is coming off a five-year, $64 million deal with Seattle. The Mariners offered him salary arbitration, but he declined. Beltre was a Type B free agent. The Sox already have signed two Type A free agents in Lackey and shortstop Marco Scutaro.


Boston Globe

A few years ago Theo and the Sabre-heads said defense didn't matter - now all of a sudden it's about "run prevention." The Emperor has no clothes.

When you have the revenue stream the Red Sox enjoy (around 500 straight sellouts) these saliries just become tax deductions in the form of operating expenses. They naturally want to avoid joining the Yanks in giving money away via the luxury tax which is why Lowell will most likely have to go even if they give him away.

Personally I think Mike Lowell and JD Drew have been valuable additions to the Sox despite their minor injuries. There is not a team in baseball that does not pay injured players now and then. Drew's 24 homers - .279 average with 82 walks and 68 RBI in 137 games last year in Boston was nothing to be ashamed about. Personally I care how much Drew he makes about as much as I care what kind of car he drives. The Sox are playing in a totally paid for stadium that they sell out at top dollar for seats year in and year out. So what if a player like Drew who can be a dangerous hitter as he has prooved gets $14M.

I could never understand why fans care that much what players make, I care what they do on the field.

Bottom line Beltre, Cameron, Scutaro are all fine additions but the season rests on the performance Boston gets out of it's big fish John Lackey. If he wins 17 or 18 games like he can then it should be a great season in Beantown.

Lackey's year is the real gamble.


wil..

I am not sure if these GMs are idiots or if they say players like Beltre in order to get other Boras players' deals done, but JD Drew and A Beltre are both from the trash heap.

What I would like to know is, which other team was even close paying Beltre more than 5 or 6 per year?