Could the Red Sox already have found a solution to their designated hitter problem?
Boston is rumored to be one of the teams in hot pursuit of 39-year-old outfielder/DH Carlos Beltran, according to reports from ESPN.com’s Scott Lauber and WEEI’s Rob Bradford.
The Red Sox reportedly would be competing with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Houston Astros for Beltran’s services, per Bradford, but Toronto might not bid as high as the others after agreeing to a contract with free agent DH Kendrys Morales.
Beltran most likely would be a short-term replacement for the now-retired David Ortiz, but he’d certainly be a good one. Like Ortiz, Beltran didn’t seem to be affected by his age in 2016, as he batted .295 with 29 home runs, 93 RBI and 33 doubles over 151 games between the Yankees and Texas Rangers.
Beltran won’t cost a first-round draft pick, as he was traded during the season and was ineligible for a qualifying offer, so he’s an appealing option for many teams. It’s unclear, however, if he’s asking for more than a one-year deal.
Still, it sounds as though Boston could make a big push for Beltran, as a major league source told Lauber the Red Sox “want him badly.”
Thumbnail photo via Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports Images
