The Texas Rangers and third baseman Adrian Beltre are discussing a contract extension that could keep the 36-year-old slugger with the organization for the rest of his career.
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Beltre’s Agent Confirms Talks About New Deal
Tuesday, Feb. 16
JP Morosi of Fox Sports passed along comments from Scott Boras, who represents Beltre, about the situation, and he confirmed the infielder prefers to stay with the Rangers.
“I think Adrian already had a discussion with them, in which he expressed a desire to stay,” Boras said. “They want him there, and we’re going to work on that.”
He also confirmed to Fox Sports that an agreement could be in place before Opening Day: “I’d say there are certainly grounds for a discussion of advancing Adrian’s contract, yes.”
Beltre is coming off another rock-solid season at the plate for Texas. He posted a .334 on-base percentage with 18 home runs in 143 games. He’s shown no signs of slowing down since arriving to the club in 2011, racking up 135 homers across five seasons.
Christopher Fittz of WFAA Sports further highlighted the high-level impact Beltre’s made with the Rangers in a relatively short time period:
His strong defense is a key part of that success. He’s posted a positive Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) figure in all but one season, including a plus-18 DRS mark in 2015, according to FanGraphs.
Beltre is under contract for the 2016 season with an $18 million base salary, per Spotrac. He would become an unrestricted free agent next winter if the sides aren’t able to reach an agreement.
Typically a team would be hesitant to re-sign a player who will turn 37 early in the season, but his continued strong play mitigates some of that general risk. He’s still an important piece of the lineup, even though his overall power numbers have dipped a bit over the past two years.
Locking him up to a new contract before Opening Day would allow Beltre to focus on the season without the potential of free agency looming over him. Keeping him in a Rangers uniform until he’s ready to call it quits makes sense for both sides.
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