Texas Rangers rumors: Adrian Beltre contract extension being discussed

Texas Rangers rumors:  Adrian Beltre is a free agent after 2016, but the Rangers have previously said they want to extend him and keep him in a Ranger uniform for the rest of his career.  This morning, on MLB Network Radio, Jon Daniels said the team has already begun preliminary discussions with Beltre on a contract extension.

Preliminary discussions are, of course, just preliminary, but you have to be cautiously optimistic about the chances of a deal getting done by spring training.  Beltre wants to win, and had 2015 been a repeat of 2014's disaster, Beltre would probably be less inclined to want to stay...but last year's playoff appearance, the addition of Cole Hamels, and the fact this team appears set to compete going forward should make it more likely Beltre will want to stick around.

The Rangers, of course, value what Beltre brings, both on and off the field, and I have said before that I think the Rangers like the idea of having Beltre in the clubhouse when Nomar Mazara, Joey Gallo, Lewis Brinson, and others are breaking in.

Beltre is 233 hits away from reaching the 3000 hit mark, and if he stays healthy, he should crack that barrier in mid-2017, providing another incentive for the Rangers to extend him.  I've floated before the possibility of a 2 year, $40 million deal, which would cover Beltre's age 38 and 39 seasons.  That would seem to be the ballpark that we'd be looking at for an extension.