The no-trade clause in Beltran's contract gives the outfielder 24 hours to approve or reject a trade, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal tweeted Friday. As Costa notes, that means the deadline to trade Beltran is effectively 3:59 July 30. The non-waiver trade deadline is 4 p.m. July 31.
The Red Sox appear to be fading from the rumors. This could mean they or the Mets have backed off a deal, or it could simply mean there are fewer unfounded rumors made up by guys sitting at desks.
(By the way, did you hear the Cardinals are talking about trading Albert Pujols to the Giants for Tim Lincecum? No? Well, they didn't. But this is how easy it is to start a trade rumor.)
The Rangers still seem to be in the hottest pursuit. The deadline is coming fast, and it's coming a day faster for any team interested in Beltran.
