Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees all reportedly chasing Carlos Beltran
Veteran free agent Carlos Beltran is reportedly in very high demand early on in the offseason.
According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, four teams have showed serious interest in Beltran: the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros.
Somewhat amusingly, the Red Sox and Blue Jays may both be eyeing Beltran at the expense of the same player. Boston doesn’t want to make a long-term commitment to Edwin Encarnacion as designated hitter, while the Toronto is looking increasingly likely to let the slugger leave town.
Beltran spent parts of the last three seasons with the Yankees before being traded, so it would be a reunion of sorts. Houston’s interest has already been reported.
Beltran turns 40 in April, but he’s still a productive hitter, having hit .295 with 29 home runs in a 2016 season split between New York and Texas. He’d be a great short-term fix at DH for a contender, which is likely exactly what all four of these teams are looking for.
