Red Sox showing "strong interest" in Carlos Beltran

[joeybee12]

Carlos Beltran has a qualifying offer on the table from the Cardinals, but he’s expected to decline the one-year, $14.1 million deal even if he wants to remain in St. Louis and now George King of the New York Post reports that the Red Sox are showing “strong interest” in the 36-year-old outfielder.

According to King–who, for whatever it’s worth, cites “a person who knows Beltran” as his source–the Red Sox could essentially try to replace Jacoby Ellsbury with Beltran, either by shifting Shane Victorino to center field or using Jackie Bradley Jr. in center field.

King also writes that the Yankees and Orioles are interested in Beltran, who hit .296 with 24 homers and an .830 OPS in 145 games for the Cardinals and posted very similar overall numbers for St. Louis in 2012 as well. Two years ago Beltran got a two-year, $26 million deal as a free agent and it sounds like he’ll do better at 36 than he did at 34.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/11/08/red-sox-showing-strong-interest-in-carlos-beltran/#comments

The comments are more interesting than the article...is this a play by Carlos to get StL to sign him quicker, or a play by the Sox to make Satan and Blatimore pay more for him????

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. My strongest preference would be to resign Ellsbury (I know, not likely)....

If not, I have no issue letting Jackie Bradley Jr have a go. We won the whole thing this year - next year would be a great time to field test Bradley, Bogaerts, Middlebrooks - perhaps even Lavarnway....maybe be competitive, but set up for the following year when all of the kids will then be acclimated....

[joeybee12]

3. I'd like to keep Jacoby also...

But I don't think that's going to happen.

[Kingofalldems]

2. OK. We'll take Ellsbury.

[joeybee12]

4. Very good player...injury prone...

He's leaving the Sox, that's probably a good bet.

[Kingofalldems]

5. I would put him on first base to at least

lessen the chance for injury.