FanPost

ESPN proposes Rangers trade

 

Texas Rangers trade Tanner Scheppers and Michael Kirkman to the New York Mets for Carlos Beltran

 

 

A sample of 30-some lucky games aside, Endy Chavez isn't a championship-caliber center fielder. The Rangers' recent success and new 20-year, $3 billion(!) TV deal has turned the team into the high-revenue powerhouse it should have been all these years. That means they can afford to upgrade, and very well might upgrade, even if it means paying some serious bucks to do so. Beltran is in the final year of a seven-year deal that pays him $18.5 million this year, so even if he gets dealt right near the non-waiver deadline, he'll be owed about $6 million -- a sum that'll be too rich for many teams to handle.

Some questions need to be answered, such as whether Josh Hamilton could slide back to center field for the stretch run and be effective there, but there's no questioning Beltran's ability when healthy. The 34-year-old is hitting .288/.375/.506 in a pitcher's park and playing plus defense in a corner outfield slot. The Mets will also likely be happy to shed $6 million-plus in payroll. Acquiring power arms like Scheppers and Kirkman would sweeten the deal considerably, especially if Scheppers is fully recovered from past shoulder troubles and more recent back issues, and if Kirkman can refine his command. If the Rangers pick up all of Beltran's remaining salary, it's possible he could cost a little less, too.

Link to the rest of the story

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/insider/news/story?id=6756652&addata=2009_insdr_mod_mlb_xxx_xxx