Mr. Beltran, welcome to St. Louis.
The gaping hole left by the recent departure of Albert Pujols is slowly being filled, this time in the form of six time All-Star Carlos Beltran. The newly-inked outfielder hit .300 with 22 home runs and a .385 OBP last year with the Mets and Giants. The deal (according to Derrick Goold) is reportedly worth $26-million dollars over two years. It also includes a full no-trade clause.
The addition of Beltran makes the Cardinals' offense one of the most fearsome in the National League. Beltran also fits nicely into the Cardinal's defensive alignment, being the projected Opening Day right-fielder. After Allen Craig recovers from offseason knee surgery, Beltran is slated to move into center-field. Even without Albert, the Cardinals projected line-up, after Craig returns, looks very, very solid: Furcal, Beltran, Holliday, Berkman, Freese, Craig, Molina, Schumaker, Pitcher. Scary.
GM John Mozeliak made a statement with this signing. It's more than just a baseball move, more than just on the field results. Mo' was left standing in the dust when Albert took his mercenary money and skedaddled out of town. He needed to prove that this historic franchise wasn't going to curl up and die simply because the resident superstar up and left, leaving behind only a note. He needed prove that to the fans. He needed to prove that to the players. He also needed to prove it to himself. Whatever Carlos Beltran does over the next two years is much less important than the declaration that the Cardinals' front office just made: We're here to play. We're here to win. Right now.
The gaping hole left by the recent departure of Albert Pujols is slowly being filled, this time in the form of six time All-Star Carlos Beltran. The newly-inked outfielder hit .300 with 22 home runs and a .385 OBP last year with the Mets and Giants. The deal (according to Derrick Goold) is reportedly worth $26-million dollars over two years. It also includes a full no-trade clause.
The addition of Beltran makes the Cardinals' offense one of the most fearsome in the National League. Beltran also fits nicely into the Cardinal's defensive alignment, being the projected Opening Day right-fielder. After Allen Craig recovers from offseason knee surgery, Beltran is slated to move into center-field. Even without Albert, the Cardinals projected line-up, after Craig returns, looks very, very solid: Furcal, Beltran, Holliday, Berkman, Freese, Craig, Molina, Schumaker, Pitcher. Scary.
GM John Mozeliak made a statement with this signing. It's more than just a baseball move, more than just on the field results. Mo' was left standing in the dust when Albert took his mercenary money and skedaddled out of town. He needed to prove that this historic franchise wasn't going to curl up and die simply because the resident superstar up and left, leaving behind only a note. He needed prove that to the fans. He needed to prove that to the players. He also needed to prove it to himself. Whatever Carlos Beltran does over the next two years is much less important than the declaration that the Cardinals' front office just made: We're here to play. We're here to win. Right now.
solid writing, solid line up
ReplyDeletePujols' move was really a poor one, though. I know it's over and done, and I'm not overly mad about it, but I think Angels fans will end up hating him. He may have a few good seasons left, but not ten whole years worth of stellar playing. He'll end up a very expensive dud of a mascot. Angels fans will be watching him very sharply to see if he was a good deal, and an bad move/season or injury will put him on their bad side. If he'd stayed here, he could have ridden on his past awesomeness well into his old age. He would have ended a StL hero.
ReplyDeleteOh well, life moves on.
Nice writing. I enjoy reading it.
ReplyDelete