Evan Grant just tweeted that it appears "inevitable" the Rangers are going to sign Adrian Beltre, with the contract likely 5 years, with a 6th year vesting option.
We are also hearing from national reporters that the deal is going to be something like six years, $100 million, which is, of course, way higher than most of us would be comfortable with.
I would recommend that everyone keep in mind, though, that reports of what a contract is worth isn't always what a contract really is.
Jon Daniels signed Scott Boras client Kevin Millwood to a deal prior to the 2006 season that was widely reported as 5 years, $60 million.
The reality, though, was that the 5th year was voidable by the Rangers if Millwood didn't hit certain incentives, and there was a lot of deferred money in the deal. That made the contract more like a 4 year, $42 million deal with a $12 million fifth year vesting option.
But Boras got to claim he got a 5 year contract for his client, he got to claim he got his guy $60 million, and thus everyone could go home happy and save face.
Similarly, I wouldn't be surprised if this deal was announced as something like 6 years, $100 million, but the actual deal was (factoring the time value of money for the deferred dollars) more like 5 years, $70-75 million, with a vesting option worth $17-18 million.
Of course, I could be wrong, and this could be a straight-up $100 million deal.
We shall, it appears, see very soon.