DH JOINS REVAMPED LINEUP ON 1-YEAR, $16 MILLION DEAL.
Brought back 12 years later on $16 million deal, veteran bolsters improving offense
Twelve offseasons after they failed to retain him, the Astros have reunited with Carlos Beltran.
Beltran agreed to terms with the team on a one-year, $16-million contract, sources confirmed to the Chronicle on Saturday, transforming an already improved lineup into one of baseball’s best for 2017. The deal, which includes a full no-trade clause, is pending a physical.
Still defying the aging curve even as he approaches his 40th birthday, the switchhitting Beltran gives the Astros a middleof-the-order hitter who figures to garner most of his at-bats as designated hitter but also can play either corner outfield position. The nine-time All-Star should provide significant value off the field as a mentor to a young core of players.
The addition of Beltran puts to rest rampant speculation regarding the Astros’ pursuit of free-agent first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion, in whom the team had definite interest but not to the extent it coveted Beltran. Pinpointing him as what they consider an ideal complement to their roster, the Astros aggressively recruited Beltran from the outset of free agency.
Bats, bats and more bats
The signing is likely the final big splash of the offseason for Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, who will arrive at the annual winter meetings Sunday in National Harbor, Md., having added Beltran, outfielder Josh Reddick and catcher Brian McCann to a roster that underachieved in winning 84 games last season.
The Astros surely will continue to explore potential upgrades to the rotation, still their biggest question mark. But faced with the possibility the costly prices on the trade market may not subside, Luhnow’s strategy has been clear: load up on bats.
Shedding their reputation as a team reluctant to spend, the Astros since July have committed $138.5 million in guaranteed money to infielder Yulieski Gurriel, Reddick, Beltran and McCann. That foursome will account for $54.5 million in 2017 payroll, which will exceed $100 million on opening day for the first time since 2009.
Coming off a season in which he batted .295 with 29 home runs and an .850 on-base plus slugging percentage, Beltran could bat anywhere from fourth to sixth for the Astros depending on how manager A.J. Hinch configures his lineup. An incredible amount of position flexibility among the players could lead to a bevy of machinations depending on matchups.
The new-found roster depth ensures the Astros better bench options than in the past and could create avenues for more rest days for veterans throughout the season. Evan Gattis is the most obvious candidate to lose at-bats from Beltran’s addition, but even he should still extract plenty of playing time at catcher and DHbecause of the team’s roster flexibility.
Gurriel will all but assuredly play first base rather than left field, and Marwin Gonzalez will return to a super-utility role. Barring injury, George Springer, Beltran, Reddick, Nori Aoki and Jake Marisnick will make up the Astros’ outfield. Slugger still in search of ring
Beltran was worth 2.3 wins above replacement last season, according to FanGraphs, his most since 2012. Despite 55 games of postseason experience, he remains in search of a ring. He has reached the World Series just once — in 2013 with St. Louis — and the league championship series four times, first with the Astros in 2004 after joining the team in a June trade with Kansas City.
Beltran’s performance in the 2004 postseason is mind-boggling to this day. In 12 games against Atlanta and St. Louis, he batted .435 with eight homers, 14 RBIs and six stolen bases. His departure to the New York Mets for a seven-year, $119 million deal the following January has prompted boos from the Minute Maid Park crowd on each of his return visits since.
Beltran spent all but a couple months of the last three years with the New York Yankees but finished last season with the Texas Rangers after a trade-deadline deal. His familiarity with the Astros goes beyond his previous stint with the team, as he is a former teammate of Hinch (2001-02 with the Royals) and the team’s new bench coach, Alex Cora (2009-10 with the Mets).
Team officials have not commented on the signing because it is not yet official. That didn’t stop Astros players, including pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh and third baseman Alex Bregman, from cheering the move on Twitter.
Luhnow’s aggressiveness early in the offseason should make for a mostly quiet winter meetings for the Astros. Held at a resort just outside of Washington, the meetings kick into full gear Monday and end Thursday with the Rule 5 draft.