New York Yankees Trade Speculation: Could Bombers Steal Carlos Beltran?

With the July 31 MLB trade deadline less than a week away, plenty of names are floating around in trade rumors. Unlike the past few seasons, however, there are very few marquee players thought to be available. There is perhaps no more accomplished player on the market than New York Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran.

Beltran is certainly no stranger to trade chatter, as he was traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Houston Astros in the middle of the 2004 season. Beltran went on an unprecedented tear for Houston, particularly in the playoffs, where he almost singlehandedly led them to the World Series. Although it’s unlikely he’ll have that type of impact again this year, he is rumored to be coveted by many top contenders.

His main suitors are rumored to be the San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox. As is usually the case, though, it is quite possible that I surprise team will swoop in late and steal him. Among those teams could be the New York Yankees. Just a couple months ago, the Yankees seemed to be heavily in the market for a bat, but the awakening of Jorge Posada from his early-season slumber seems to have put a cap on those talks.

The possibility still remains, however, that the Yanks could involve themselves in the Beltran sweepstakes as a means of blocking the Red Sox from acquiring his services. It’s more likely, though, that the Bronx Bombers will let the chips fall where they may when it comes to Beltran. Here are the top five reasons why the Yankees are unlikely to make a play for Beltran.

Beltran Wants to Play Right Field

As willing as Carlos Beltran is to move to a contending team, he has some demands that he doesn’t seem likely to budge from. With a full no-trade clause, Beltran has final say with regards to where he gets traded. With that in mind, Beltran truly holds all the cards when it comes to his imminent trade. One of Beltran’s main issues is that he wants to remain a right fielder. This would seem to take some American League teams out of the running, particularly the New York Yankees.

The Yankees currently have a fantastic defensive outfield, with Nick Swisher manning right field. Swisher may not seem to be a great defensive player to the casual observer, but his combination of a strong throwing arm and great anticipation in terms of cutting the ball off makes him an ideal fit in right for the Yanks. If New York were to acquire Beltran, a designated-hitter-by-committee approach could be taken, but Beltran himself has said that he wouldn’t be comfortable with being even a part-time DH.

Beltran’s insistence on being an everyday player in the field pretty much handcuffs the Yanks. I highly doubt that they would want to make Swisher the full-time DH. As previously mentioned, Swisher has developed into a fine defensive player, and his absence in the outfield diminishes some of his value. The Yankees may be best off refusing to give into Beltran’s demands and sticking with what they have for the time being.

Beltran Wants to Stay in the National League

Carlos Beltran’s desire to remain a full-time right fielder as well as his desire to stay in the National League are somewhat related, but not completely. Of course, if Beltran is traded to a National League team, he is guaranteed to start in right field on a regular basis due to the lack of a designated hitter. Beltran has also said that he wants to stay in the NL due to his familiarity with the league. He has played in the NL for the past seven and a half seasons and has become comfortable with his surroundings.

Moving to the American League would obviously involve a transition period for Beltran. Although he spent the first six and a half years of his career in the AL with Kansas City, he has likely grown accustomed to the NL-style of play. The AL is more tailored to skill set as a power hitter, however, which makes you wonder whether he might reconsider. Another issue with switching leagues is that Beltran would have to acquaint himself with completely different pitchers.

When someone has played in the league for 14 years like Beltran has, they have probably seen most of the league’s more tenured pitchers at least once. Obviously, he would have to adjust to some the younger pitchers he has never faced, though. In the end, I think his NL preference has more to do with his fear of becoming a DH than anything. If Beltran stands firm, then there is really nothing the Yankees can do about it.

Jorge Posada has Stabilized Himself

It wasn’t that long ago that Jorge Posada was hitting well below the Mendoza line and threatening to perhaps leave the New York Yankees altogether. Since the mid-May incident that saw Posada remove himself from the lineup after manager Joe Girardi asked him to bat ninth, the veteran has righted the ship. At the time of the incident, Posada was hitting just .165, but he has since raised his average to .223 to go along with nine home runs and 29 RBI.

Of course, that isn’t what the Yankees were expecting from Posada this season, but he has done well enough over the past couple months to remain in the lineup for now. When you consider the fact that the Bombers are second in the majors in on base percentage and runs scored and first in home runs, you come to the conclusion that they aren’t exactly hurting for offense. Adding Beltran wouldn’t hurt, but it would be at the expense of a truly great Yankee.

With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Yankees owe it to Posada to let him finish out the year. If worse comes to worst, the Yanks can always start a DH platoon with Posada facing righties and Andruw Jones facing lefties. Posada is more than capable of serving as a bottom-of-the-order DH against right handers, and if his struggles against southpaws continue, Brett Gardner could become an everyday player with Jones serving as the DH.

The Yanks Would Have to Part With One of Their Top Prospects

With so many top contenders seemingly in the hunt for Carlos Beltran, the New York Mets have plenty of leverage when it comes to negotiating a deal. The Mets may be in dire financial straits, but seeing as Beltran’s contract expires at the end of the season, they won’t be desperate to give him away. Ultimately, it seems as though a bidding war is going to ensue, and the highest bidder who also fits the profile of what Beltran is looking for in a team will win the sweepstakes.

With that said, it is a very real possibility that the Yankees would have to give up one of their top three prospects in the form of catcher Jesus Montero and pitchers Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances. Although Montero’s development has slowed, he still has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order bat in the near future. Also, Banuelos and Betances are expected to become ace-caliber pitchers over the next couple seasons.

If Montero, Banuelos and Betances reach their potential, they certainly wouldn’t be worth giving up for Beltran. Beltran would be nothing more than a rental, and the Yanks could be sacrificing future greatness for a short-term Band-Aid. In all reality, Beltran would be more of a luxury than a necessity for the Yankees, and it wouldn’t be worth giving up some of their best assets for something they really don’t even need.

Pitching is a Bigger Need Than Hitting

There are plenty of the reasons why the Yankees won’t and don’t need to trade for Carlos Beltran. There is probably no bigger and more logical reason, though, than the fact that offense simply isn’t a need. This is particularly true when you consider the fact that the Yanks could use some pitching help. Trading for Beltran would necessitate the Yankees parting with a significant prospect and would likely stop them from making any other moves of note. With plenty of uncertainty in their starting rotation and bullpen, however, the Yankees need to address pitching more than anything.

The Yanks’ pitching deficiency is masked by the fact that they rank eighth in the majors in ERA, but there are plenty of question marks nonetheless. CC Sabathia is obviously an ace, but A.J. Burnett is far too inconsistent and Phil Hughes has been up and down since returning from injury. Also, veterans Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia are pitching well at the moment, but they could conceivably break down at any moment.

The backend of the bullpen is strong with Mariano Rivera and David Robertson, but the lack of a reliable lefty specialist is disconcerting, as are the injury issues of Rafael Soriano. Ultimately, the Bombers should focus solely on getting some pitching help. An experienced late-inning reliever like Matt Capps would be a big help as would a potentially solid middle-of-the-rotation starter like Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs or Wandy Rodriguez of the Houston Astros. Not only would those moves help fill a need, but they probably wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg like Beltran is sure to.