Carlos Beltran's first career trip to the World Series ended in heartbreak as his St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Boston Red Sox in six games, but now the very team that handed him that pain is hoping to land him through free agency.
According to The New York Post, the World Series champion Red Sox are "showing interest" in landing the 36-year-old Beltran, who has a $14.1 million qualifying offer on the table from the Cards but is likely to decline it, and either work out a new deal with St. Louis or depart elsewhere through free agency. Beltran turning down the qualifying offer will mean that any team that signs him besides the Cardinals will lose a draft pick in June.
The Post reports that the Red Sox could be planning to replace free agent Jacoby Ellsbury, if the center fielder signs elsewhere, by pursuing Beltran and shifting either Shane Victorino or Jackie Bradley Jr. to center. Beltran also has generated interest from other American League East teams, including the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles.
Beltran is an eight-time All-Star and he netted a two-year $26 million contract from the Cardinals two years ago in what seems like a bargain for what Beltran has brought to the team. Beltran hit 32 homers and 97 RBIs in his first year of the contract before having a great year in 2013 that saw him hit .296 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs.
Beltran is also one of the most prolific postseason hitters, with a career batting average of .333 in the playoffs with 16 homers and 40 RBIs through 10 postseason series. Beltran got a taste of his first World Series this season, and though he left Game 1 early after injuring himself robbing a homerun, he returned in spades and ended up hitting .294 (5-for-17) with three RBIs as St. Louis fell to Boston.
Though they just won a World Series, the Red Sox aren't going to settle as the team is already making plans for 2014 while searching for backup options in case Ellsbury departs.
Beltran and the Cardinals were 88-74 in 2012 and eventually were eliminated in the NL Championship Series in seven games by the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants, before earning their first NL Central division title since 2009 in 2013 with a 97-65 record, but they may lose Beltran to free agency.
It remains to be seen where Beltran goes, but the hot stove of the offseason is just heating up.
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