After playing out a long contract in Seattle, Adrian Beltre signed a one-year deal with Boston to re-establish his value. And re-establish his value he did, as he batted .321 with a .553 slugging percentage and the same otherworldly defense as usual. Beltre is now back on the free agent market, and rather unsurprisingly, the 31-year-old third baseman is drawing a ton of early interest.
Free Agent Adrian Beltre Interests Angels, Red Sox, Many Others
Jon Heyman reports that as many as 12 different teams are interested in the flashy infielder. He takes care to note that the Orioles have heavy interest, but the teams most strongly linked to Beltre so far have been the Red Sox and the Angels. The Red Sox would love to have Beltre back where he was, and they have to money to afford him. Meanwhile, the Angels play in southern California - an area Beltre loves - and also have both the money and the need, as they don't want to hand the starting third base job to Brandon Wood, Alberto Callaspo, or Maicer Izturis.
This is a situation to watch, as agent Scott Boras says there’s more interest in Beltre than he’s ever had in any client. Beltre may very well end up being the first big-time player to sign a contract, should the right offer present itself soon. The Angels are considered by many to be the favorites.
Beltre’s .919 OPS ranked him fifth in the American League last season. He also drove in 100 runs for the first time since his extraordinary 2004 in Los Angeles.
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