Beltran bucked expectations last season at 39 years old by playing in his most games and having his highest home run total (29) and OPS (.850) since 2012.
For the third time in his career, Beltran was traded at the deadline, and hit seven home runs in 52 games with the Rangers after a stellar stint with the Yankees. Beltran signed with the Astros in the offseason and should play close to every day between left field and DH while batting in the heart of the order. While there's considerable downside at age 40, Beltran showed little decline in his skill set in his late-30s. He should continue to be a productive player if he can stay healthy.
Beltran played much of the 2014 season with bone spurs in his elbow, but after undergoing offseason surgery, the club had much higher expectations for his 2015 output. His campaign started off slowly, hitting just .162 with no homers in April, but after the first month he became one of the Yankees' most consistent hitters. At this stage in his career, Beltran obviously doesn't have the power or speed that he once did, but there's little reason to believe a significant drop off from the .276/.337/.471 line he put up as he enters his age-39 season. He posted an above-average .808 OPS and was able to stay healthy enough to give the Yankees 133 games in the middle year of a three-year contract. The switch-hitter has lost a step defensively, but he figures to once again be the everyday right fielder as Opening Day rolls around, as Alex Rodriguez stands in the way of any DH opportunities.
Beltran was diagnosed with bone spurs in his throwing elbow in May, which impacted his production at the plate and his defense, as the Yankees received just 109 games from him in 2014 – the first year of a three-year, $45 million pact. He also missed time with a concussion and facial fractures after getting hit in the face during batting practice in July. Just one year removed from posting an .830 OPS with the Cardinals, it's reasonable to think that Beltran could rebound in his age-38 campaign. While Beltran played through the elbow ailment with the help of cortisone shots, he was far from the middle-of-the-order power bat the team was hoping for, and his production across the board suffered as he hit just .233/.301/.402. The Yankees admitted to regretting their decision to have Beltran play through the injury, but he had surgery to remove the bone spurs at the end of September and he's expected to be fully healthy for the start of spring training.
Beltran had another terrific year for the Cardinals, putting up a .296/.339/.491 line and slugging 24 home runs across 600 plate appearances. He hit the ball hard on a consistent basis, posting the highest line-drive rate (23.9%) of his career, but he also delivered his lowest career walk rate (6.3%). Beltran will almost certainly suffer with a move out of one of baseball's best lineups, but should benefit from the opportunity to serve as a DH after signing with the Yankees as a free agent in December. Moreover, he'll be set up for a potential boost in power against right-handed pitching given Yankee Stadium's tendency to bolster left-handed power with its short porch in right field.
Beltran found the Fountain of Youth in the first half last year, blasting 20 home runs and driving in 65 before the break. The second half was another story, however, as his power stroke abandoned him at times, with a lowlight of a 40-game stretch in which he hit just two home runs. He will turn 36 in April, and if he hits like he did in August and September, he won't be worth the money thrown at him on draft day.
Although he again missed some time due to injuries, Beltran played very well after getting traded to San Francisco last year, posting a .323/.369/.551 line over 167 at-bats. Overall, he finished the season batting .300 with 22 homers and 84 RBI. He no longer runs like he once did, which hurts his fantasy value, but the move to right field appears to have helped his ability to stay healthy. Beltran will turn 35 years old in April, and his durability remains a concern, but it's clear his bat is still among the best in baseball. After signing a two-year deal with the Cardinals in December, Beltran will be a part of the plan in St. Louis to recoup the production lost with Albert Pujols' move to Orange County.
Beltran's 2010 began with him having another knee surgery in January, and one could argue that it didn't get much better from there. In March, he was questioned by the FBI about his association with doctor Anthony Galea, who is under investigation for distributing performance-enhancing drugs and treated Beltran in summer 2009 for the bone bruise in his right knee. Beltran rehabbed the knee the first half of the year, returning to action just after the All-Star break, albeit with a fairly large knee brace on his right knee. The brace caused Beltran to have an altered stride and less range of motion and speed he had in the past. Beltran has agreed to waive his no trade clause, which could allow the Mets to move him and the $18.5 million left in the final year of his seven-year, $119 million deal. Wherever he lands, the questions surrounding his right knee make him a high-risk, high-reward player.
Beltran, who had both knees scoped in October 2007 to remove some dead tissue from his patella tendons, entered 2009 completely healthy, but that did not hold up all year. Beltran played through the pain of a bone bruise in his right knee for a month before finally getting shut down in late June, missing 70 games. Despite not being 100 percent, Beltran returned to action in September so that he could put to rest some of the questions he would be asked over the offseason about his ability to play. While Mets team doctors continue to insist that he will not require offseason surgery, and that his knee should be "back to 100 percent" before the start of spring training, there is still speculation that Beltran will need microfracture surgery that would sideline him for much of 2010.
Beltran was limited during spring training in 2008 after having both knees scoped to remove dead tissue the previous October. As a result, he spent the first five weeks of the regular season regaining his timing at the plate and confidence in his legs. Down the stretch, he was the Mets' best hitter in September, going 32-for-93 with six homers and 19 RBI. The overall numbers -- .284 with 27 homers, 112 RBI and 25 steals -- were good, while his OPS was just two points lower than in 2007, despite the fact that his slugging percentage tumbled for the second straight season. His 2006 season looks like a career year, but since it appears as though he'll enter 2009 healthy, look for something closer to his 2007 campaign.
Last year's Beltran outlook said, "look for him to have another monster season in the middle of the potent Mets' lineup but projections of 40-40 appear to be a pipe dream," and while he may not have had a monster year like he did in 2006, .276-33-112-23 is still pretty darn solid, though his OPS dropped over 100 points. Leg woes, which required postseason surgery to remove dead tissue from the patella tendon of both his knees, again bothered Beltran throughout the year. However, he turned it up after the All-Star break, hitting .293 with 17 HR and 57 RBI, 50 of which came in the last two months of the year. If healthy, look for him to be among the first 15-20 players off the board again in 2008.
Beltran had the kind of season Mets fans and fantasy owners were hoping for when he signed in 2005. His game-winning, walk-off home run in the 16th inning on May 23 changed the fans' perception of Beltran, which helped spur him to a big season. The one negative, assuming one can quibble with a season in which Beltran improved his OPS more than 200 points and doubled his home run production from the year before, is that minor leg woes once again limited his stolen bases. Look for him to have another monster season in the middle of a potent Mets lineup, but projections of 40-40 appear to be a pipe dream.
Disappointment, bust - choose whichever label Mets fans hoisted at Beltran's nightmare 2005 and it mostly fits. He never had more than three home runs or 17 RBI during any month and hit over .300 only in May. The pressure of a seven-year, $119 million contract seemed to weigh heavily and a strained right quadriceps plagued him for six weeks in May and June. Beltran picked it up in July but was injured in a collision with Mike Cameron in August that impacted him for weeks before he was able to close with a decent September. Will we see the Beltran who carried the Astros in the second half and playoffs in 2004 or the player who had so little self-confidence that he bunted for hits with two outs and a runner in scoring position? The addition of Carlos Delgado should take some pressure off.
Beltran played exceptionally well in 2004, falling just two homers shy of reaching a 40-40 plateau. It was a feat that got lost since it was spread between two leagues after his trade to the Astros. Beltran is the most accurate base runner in the league, one of the best defensive center fielders and has great power at the plate. He's a five-tool star in his prime who may be the best player in fantasy baseball this season even after moving into a pitcher's park with the Mets.
After a dreadful April that started late due to a strained right oblique, Beltran cast aside the trade rumors and put together a great season. He curbed his strikeout totals while remaining aggressive at the plate, resulting in career highs in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. His combination of batting average, speed, and power make him one of the top roto hitters in the game. We expect him to take it to the next level in 2004.
This 26-year-old center fielder is one of the best outfielders in the majors. He has the whole package and put it on display in 2002 -- collecting 80 extra-base hits, stealing 35 bases and playing a superb center field. How any player can drive in and score over 100 runs for the Royals defies logic. A future 30-30 campaign isn't too much to expect.
