Carlos Beltran Speaks

[HahnSolo]

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/11929/carlos-talks-rf-trade-health-academy

On the upcoming weekend meeting with Alderson: "I talked to him by phone yesterday. He gave me a call. I called him back. But, at the same time, I also talked to Jeff [Wilpon] when they acquired him. Honestly, what I'm looking forward to is to meeting and talking to him. Probably we're going to talk about baseball, for sure. We're going to talk about the Mets. We're going to talk about the team. I just can't tell you what we're going to [specifically] talk about because, first of all, I need to hear it from him."

On his no-trade clause: "First of all, the process will be, when they approach me, I have to call my agent, call Scott [boras]. I have to listen. I know that I have the no-trade clause, but if the team is searching or looking to trade a guy, I have to listen. I want to be a Met. I want to finish my career with the Mets. Right now, my mentality is just to come back next year 100 percent to help this team win a championship. But, at the same time, if the organization is looking at different options, I have to be aware. I'm a professional. I know the organization, they're professionals. So if the situation comes between them and us, we're going to handle it in a very professional way."

More good stuff at the link.

[G-Fafif]

On the high school/baseball academy to open in August 2011: "It's going to be a high school -- 10th, 11th and 12th." On entering the final year of a seven-year deal: "To me, it really has flied."

Why do I get the feeling they will teach more baseball than English at this school?

/cheap shot

[Centerfield]

Is there a bigger wild card for 2011 than Carlos Beltran? He could be dead weight on the roster, or he could be the MVP.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Joker? Smoker? Championship-fire stoker?

�I believe that New York, a lot of people say it's the same baseball. It's not the same. New York is different. When you play in New York, you feel more the responsibility of going out and performing well and trying to do the right thing all the time. Sometimes you're going to fail. The difference is that in other cities, probably fans let go of things a little bit faster. In New York, they are so passionate about it, they are going to let you know when you're not doing well. That's not bad. It forces you to concentrate more, to come to the ballpark and prepare yourself better every day. It really has made me become a better player. I feel like I'm a better ballplayer now by playing in New York than what I was when I played in other cities."

What a bad fit this guy's been. No respect for the game or the fans.

People who speak ill of this guy's toughness, or preparation, or clubhouse presence... they're like the spiritual heirs of the "let Strawberry walk" crowd, only worse.

[metirish]

Good stuff, I'm excited.

[TransMonk]

Other than the brittleness, I am nothing but pleased with what Carlos has given the Mets over the past 6 (!) years.

[G-Fafif]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Joker? Smoker? Championship-fire stoker? �I believe that New York, a lot of people say it's the same baseball. It's not the same. New York is different. When you play in New York, you feel more the responsibility of going out and performing well and trying to do the right thing all the time. Sometimes you're going to fail. The difference is that in other cities, probably fans let go of things a little bit faster. In New York, they are so passionate about it, they are going to let you know when you're not doing well. That's not bad. It forces you to concentrate more, to come to the ballpark and prepare yourself better every day. It really has made me become a better player. I feel like I'm a better ballplayer now by playing in New York than what I was when I played in other cities." What a bad fit this guy's been. No respect for the game or the fans. People who speak ill of this guy's toughness, or preparation, or clubhouse presence... they're like the spiritual heirs of the "let Strawberry walk" crowd, only worse.

Other than in terms of production, I don't think I've ever equated Darryl and Carlos, certainly not as personalities. Interesting connection in terms of lightning rod status. The thread, now that you've got me thinking about it, is money (Carlos makes "too much" and Darryl wanted "too much") and never quite being able to fulfill everybody's fervent hopes and dreams for them in a Mets uniform. Darryl was conceivably peaking coming off of 1990 while Carlos has almost certainly peaked and will never again be the Carlos of 2006.

Mets let Darryl walk and it hurt them, but after one good year with L.A., it's not like the Dodgers reaped any great benefits from having him. Extenuating circumstances, of course. Who the hell knows what would have happened had he stayed here.

A fading Cashen and a clueless Harazin weren't the right front office to move on from Darryl. We supposedly have the right guys with their hands on the wheel this time. We shall see.

"We shall see" is a registered trademark of BetHedging, Inc., a leader in not being too sure of anything for nearly half a century.

[Ceetar]

Centerfield wrote: Is there a bigger wild card for 2011 than Carlos Beltran? He could be dead weight on the roster, or he could be the MVP.

"bigger"? Well, I don't know how to compare, but i'm 100% confident Beltran will not be dead weight _on_ the roster. It's conceivable his knee will wear down, but again, his injury hasn't been a "oops, that hurt" injury. it's been wear and tear over time. So surely mid-season could come around and he could be feeling pain in his knee, but it's healing, if slowly.

If he's on the roster, he'll be good. I have no doubt of that, based off what he did last year, what he did in 2009 both with and without the pain.


wildcards? Dickey one-year wonder? Davis and Niese: rookies with big first steps, or flash in the pan rookies that the league has the book on? Bay give us a good year ,or give us another year of subpar numbers and sink into "worst contract on the books" status?

[ashie62]

The NY Times take.

[u:cu3jgfut]http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/11/if-mets-want-beltran-to-waive-no-trade-clause-hell-listen/[/u:cu3jgfut]

I hope Carlos is healthy and NL MVP in 2011, as a Met.

[Vic Sage]

If he's on the roster, he'll be good. I have no doubt of that, based off what he did last year, what he did in 2009 both with and without the pain

No doubt? Really? If you combine his partial seasons over the last 2 years, its about equivalent to 1 season of 17 hrs/75rbi/75r, which is okay for a GG-caliber CFer (though less productive than he was in his prime), but considerably less impressive for a corner OFer with greatly diminished range. When next April rolls around, he'll be a 34 year old with chronically debilitating knee problems who will be 3 years removed from his last good full season, and very possibly be our regular RFer. I'd say he's at least as likely as any of Bay, Dickey, or anyone else on the team to take an $18.5M dive into a tank of turds or win comeback-player-of-the-year (is that even an award in MLB?)

[Ceetar]

Vic Sage wrote: If he's on the roster, he'll be good. I have no doubt of that, based off what he did last year, what he did in 2009 both with and without the pain No doubt? Really? If you combine his partial seasons over the last 2 years, its about equivalent to 1 season of 17 hrs/75rbi/75r, which is okay for a GG-caliber CFer (though less productive than he was in his prime), but considerably less impressive for a corner OFer with greatly diminished range. When next April rolls around, he'll be a 34 year old with chronically debilitating knee problems who will be 3 years removed from his last good full season, and very possibly be our regular RFer. I'd say he's at least as likely as any of Bay, Dickey, or anyone else on the team to take an $18.5M dive into a tank of turds or win comeback-player-of-the-year (is that even an award in MLB?)

Sure, Tatis won it in 2009.

The difference, I feel, from combing his last two seasons and 2011, is that preparation wise he's going into 2011 healthy and prepared. he'll have spring training. I think that's loads different from doing phsyical therapy, being babied through 20-25 minor league games and suddenly facing Tim Lincecum. In effect, I think that projection is the low-end of what he'll produce. I think his defense will be fine as well, and it doesn't really matter to the lineup if it's Pagan-Beltran or Beltran-Pagan in the outfield. If Sandy's gonna acquire another OF, I guess we'll see what happens, but as it stands now. i'm not tying his production to his position.

[Zvon]

Ashie62 wrote: I hope Carlos is healthy and NL MVP in 2011, as a Met.

That^.

If I have learned anything about Beltran its that if its in anyway possible, if he still has it in him, he will have an excellent contract year. And the Mets should take advantage of that.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Zvon wrote: Ashie62 wrote: I hope Carlos is healthy and NL MVP in 2011, as a Met. That^.

That just doesn't seem like a reasonable gamble to me anymore. He got bad knees. We oughta know by now we can't afford to put a possibly shitty player in right field.

[Vic Sage]

We oughta know by now we can't afford to put a possibly shitty player in right field.

especially after we spent half of last season putting an actually shitty player in right field...

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, the case goes much deeper than that, going all back to Darryl Strawberry. Rightfield has become in a large part what third base was long reported to be (long after it even resembled the truth): a graveyard of afterthoughts and bad notions. The only modestly good performers the Mets have had out there were either not really regulars (Huskey, Everett) or cracked open their skulls and didn't complete the season (Cameron, Church).

[metirish]

Sandy Alderson and Mr. Met join Carlos Beltran and his wife Jessica at their charity event in Puerto Rico.


Angel Pagan and Jose Reyes show their support at Carlos Beltran's annual charity event in Puerto Rico.

[DocTee]

What happened to the rest of Mrs. Beltran? I recall her being a touch heftier, no?

[HahnSolo]

I think you might be thinking of Mrs. Santana.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jessica Beltran looking like Jessica Rabbit.

Grrr

[ashie62]

It sure does look like an all back in 2011 family..

Edited November 14, 2010 by Guest

[A Boy Named Seo]

Reyes' head looks 2.5x > than Pagan's.

Lady Beltran is lookin' way hawt. Hope Carlos' offseason training regimen is half as tough as her's cause baby, it's workin'. Here's them in 2K9, both lookin way less stylin'. Would guessed this was, like, 2k4.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Chinstrap Reyes looks like he's touring campuses playing with his navel-gazing buddies and their soul/rock/reggae/jam outfit The Fillmore Street Jugglers. Download their debut release Graduating Saturn and get the special bonus track "All That You Are You Are."

[metirish]

Edgy DC wrote: Chinstrap Reyes looks like he's touring campuses playing with his navel-gazing buddies and their soul/rock/reggae/jam outfit The Fillmore Street Jugglers. Download their debut release Graduating Saturn and get the special bonus track "All That You Are You Are."

LOL....he looks like a proper tool

[Guest Edgy DC]

Worth noting is that Beltran gets $18.5 million for this season, as he has the last three, but...

$5.5 million of that is deferred at a seemingly managable 1.72% compounded annual interest rate.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Let's get back to the topic at hand: Trading this guy NOW!!!!

It's gotta be a work in progress, wouldn't you think? The Mets Braintrust ain't no dummies anymore, they know that putting an expensive injured center fielder in right field or worse, in center field, is a recipe for disappointment. They also know they need as many pitching options as they can get and don't seem to be able to afford to buy them.

Two birds, one stone.

A talent match will be hard to come by, but I'd think they could make a deal and get a few somethings if they tried.

[seawolf17]

Beltran and some cash to Oakland for Mark Ellis, a prospect, and either Coco Crisp or David DeJesus.

[metirish]

I don't see anything happening until the Spring when Alderson can eyeball Beltran himself. I agree though that a "will he won't he" go to RF is a distraction/disaster waiting to unfold. I mean , what we don't want is him starting the season in CF and ten games in he looks not his old self and then the calls to move get loud and then a cluster fuck of mis-communication occurs and bingo season down the swanie.

[Guest Edgy DC]

In a walk year, Beltran has an interest in presenting himself to the world as somebody who can still cut it in center. When he's asked to move to right, a good agent would advise him to respond by bringing up a contract extension in exchange for the diminished marketability he'll be accepting by cooperating with the team.

[metirish]

Edgy Bean Stringfellow at your service.

[metirish]

To the Red Sox???

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/12735/beltran-to-sox-not-likely-but