04/16/24
January 05, 2005
Beltran Bidding Begins: The Astros have made their initial offer and haven't heard back in a week. (more inside)
I'm betting George will get tired of reading Omar Minaya's name in the newspapers and swoop down and pick up Beltran. Personally, I just want to see him out of Houston (he won't go to the Cubs) and the NL Central.
posted by rocketman at 11:16 AM on January 05, 2005
I'd love to see him in Detroit. I'm betting they could even afford him. (Are he & Pudge tight at all? Anyone know?) But yeah, the betting money will always flow into New York City. If the Yankees or Mets don't get him, it'll be a (pleasant) surprise.
posted by chicobangs at 12:14 PM on January 05, 2005
I'm gonna say the Mets, they'll probably have bigger pockets than the 'stros. The Yankees have to curb their payroll sometime and this might be it. We all know that pitching wins championships and as good as Beltran is he won't really get the Yankees any closer to actually winning than Randy Johnson already has. Their offseason mission should be accomplished. I understand the upgrade he would provide over an aging Bernie Williams, but the mismanagement of contracts they really can't afford him. That being said, I'd also subscribe to the notion that if the Mets do sign Beltran they'll still be under .500 in 2005
posted by YukonGold at 01:59 PM on January 05, 2005
i think it depends on whether beltran wants to be the (for lack of a better term) big man on campus or if he wants a shot at a championship. he'll most likely get the former in new york and the latter in houston, especially if clemens comes back and pettitte stays healthy. the yankees have to watch their spending because of the 60/40 rule, which could possibly be seen as an unintentional salary cap. there have been rumors that the yes network has been undervalued and violation of the 60/40 rule may bring that to light.
posted by goddam at 03:05 PM on January 05, 2005
My bet is Met, too. Though Houston isn't out of the question. Shea isn't a great hitters park and Houston sure is.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:18 PM on January 05, 2005
CUBBIES hendry will pull his magic
posted by Tommybmf at 11:48 PM on January 05, 2005
I've thought all along that he would stay in Houston--call it a hunch since he won't get nearly the cash there as in NY.
posted by trox at 08:38 AM on January 06, 2005
Where ever he goes, Beltran will be over paid.. He is not worth 15, 17, 20 million a year......He is an above averag player, but he is by no means the mega-star the media "hype machine" has made him........ I hope he stays with Houston.
posted by daddisamm at 09:22 AM on January 06, 2005
Here's to him getting the heck out of the NL Central. goddam, I think you have your formers and latters mixed up. Beltran wouldn't be the BMOC with NYY...he'd be third in line behind A-Rod and Capt. Intangibles. And I think the Yankees have a better shot at a championship than Houston.
posted by mbd1 at 11:06 AM on January 06, 2005
mbd1, sorry, i forgot to specify. by new york i meant mets, not yankees.
posted by goddam at 11:13 AM on January 06, 2005
I'm from Houston and I would really love to see him stay here but it's not going to happen!!!
posted by HouRockets at 01:55 PM on January 06, 2005
goddam, I think you have your formers and latters mixed up. Beltran wouldn't be the BMOC with NYY...he'd be third in line behind A-Rod and Capt. Intangibles. And I think the Yankees have a better shot at a championship than Houston. Beltran is not the BMOC in Houston! He is a very good player with a super star agent!
posted by daddisamm at 02:10 PM on January 06, 2005
He is a very good player with a super star agent! <cups_hand_to_ear>Who is the 'Stros' best player then?</cups_hand_to_ear>
posted by yerfatma at 04:23 PM on January 06, 2005
As for the cubs...he isn't what they really need. He's another strikeout or homerun hitter (albeit he can steal bases). But I think whoever takes him better surround him with on-base guys. It would be death for the cubs to sign him - even though I want them to!!
posted by sigity at 05:22 PM on January 06, 2005
Who is the 'Stros' best player then? posted by yerfatma at 4:23 PM CST on January 6 Lance Berkman for one! I am telling you, Beltran is a good player, but right now he is over-rated and over hyped. Somebody is going to vastly over pay for him! The expectations for his performance are going to be out of the world!
posted by daddisamm at 05:58 PM on January 06, 2005
I am telling you, Beltran is a good player, but right now he is over-rated and over hyped. This isn't the first time Beltran's been painted with the overrated brush, and I still don't get what's overrated about this guy. $100m is a lot of money so of course it seems like overpaying, but compare what you're getting to players of that caliber who have signed in the last 5 or so years, it's right in line. Berkman is a great player, but he sure won't be helping Houston from the DL in the first half next year. Also, I'm not sure what really qualifies someone as BMOC, but wouldn't Jeff Bagwell be the resident fan favorite. Plus, if Roger is in town I can't see anyone taking top billing from him. is bold the new italic and nobody bothered to mention it to me? I felt the same way about pink being the new gray
posted by YukonGold at 06:16 PM on January 06, 2005
Damn designers. Is Berkman the most under-hyped hitter in the majors? Look at the OPS+. Beltran doesn't even come close. Lance is not the defender Beltran is and can't steal 40 bases, but I feel like Houston's $ would be better spent elsewhere unless Beltran gives them a real discount. And Boras won't let that happen.
posted by yerfatma at 09:25 PM on January 06, 2005
I realize that seems like I'm reversing myself, but when I originally wrote, "Who is the 'Stros' best player then," I was hoping Berkman wouldn't come up, because I just start fawning over the kid.
posted by yerfatma at 09:26 PM on January 06, 2005
Also, I'm not sure what really qualifies someone as BMOC, but wouldn't Jeff Bagwell be the resident fan favorite that's exactly what i meant by bmoc. he doesn't necessarily have to be the best player on the team. as yukon said it could be the hometown favorite (clemens). it could be the face of a franchise (bonds? sosa?). the team leader (jeter). whatever role they fill, they are the guy of the team or even the city. i don't know, maybe i'm way off on this, but i think if beltran signs with houston i can't see them expecting him to do too much more than produce on the field. and they already got a taste of him last year so they know what he's capable of. if he signs with the mets he will be expected to not only produce (live up to his hype and then some) but to also be the face of that franchise. he'll be the guy all the reporters want to talk to after games. if the team is doing poorly he'll have to answer the questions that nobody wants to answer. i'm not saying beltran isn't cut out for it, but if he decides on the mets that's the kind of stuff he'll have to expect.
posted by goddam at 09:43 PM on January 06, 2005
Thursday 6, 2005 Houston Television station has reported that Houston Astros raised their offer to 100M over 7 years
posted by A Killer Bee at 11:16 PM on January 06, 2005
Oops, my link for "overrated brush" doesn't exactly go anywhere useful. I meant to link here Don't get me wrong, I'll wholeheartedly agree with Berkman's greatness, and that he's vastly underrated. He probably won't get a contract like Beltran will, so that might make the point of Beltran being overrated and I'll have to concede. He might cost too much, but there's nothing overrated about Beltran's skills.
posted by YukonGold at 07:35 AM on January 07, 2005
There is nothing over rated about Beltran's skills. He is a very good player in that regard. However. if the mets or Yankees sign Beltran, their fans will be expecting the performance they saw in the playoffs. He will wont be able to meet those expectations. His stats so far in his carreer doesnt justify his asking price.
posted by daddisamm at 11:05 AM on January 07, 2005
daddisamm is right - by virtue of having a great playoff he got himself another $30 million or so. The hype machine is threatening to run of the reality tracks on this one. He hit .267, remember. Certainly a valuable player, All-Star even, but is not in the pantheon of MVP calibre players. He might get there, being 27 helps - entering the prime of his career - but this is a little ridiculous. At this point you are paying for potential and not result.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 01:43 PM on January 07, 2005
There is talk that the Yankees won't make the push everyone expected, although they could still come calling later in the week. The Cubs seem out of it unless they can unload Sammy. The Tigers get mentioned as a possibility, but is Detroit really in contention? Will the Angels of LA/Anaheim/OC make a late pitch? Will they be able to afford it? The Mets GM and owner visited with Carlos and his agent in Puerto Rico yesterday to sell NYC-NL. With all formal offers in the hands of Mr. Boras, the sweepstakes for the premiere free-agent on the market are well underway and should be over by early next week. Where will Beltran play in 2005-2012? Anyway, I've been a supporter of the Mets rebuilding from the ground up. I'm sick of the big-money free agents coming to town and sucking. If they would chop the team apart and start from the farm system up, I would have no problem and I would support them by attending/watching as many games as possible. With all of that said, the idea of rebuilding like that went out the window when Pedro came aboard and rumors of Sosa started floating around. This team is trying to make splashes and build itself using the wallet. If that is the route they're going to take, I hope they get Beltran. At least then if they fail, they fail by taking the best possible chances. And to answer my own question... I think he comes to Queens.