Carlos Beltran: Short-Term Rental of Injury-Prone Star Will Be Idiotic Move

What is all the fuss about over New York Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran?

The No. 1 most highly sought player at the 2011 trade deadline is being courted in a way Prince William knows something about.

All of the top contenders from the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies to the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox have been reportedly interested in the 34-year-old’s services.

The Giants have emerged as the team to tickle the Mets' fancy and Beltran will be joining the defending World Series champs in Philadelphia.

But why?

Beltran received an incredibly hefty contract after having a monster 2004 postseason as a member of the Houston Astros.

He has spent the last six plus seasons with the Mets and never really lived up to the hype. He hit over .300 only once and has hit a combined 17 homers in 2009-10.

The real reason the Giants would be taking a huge risk is because of Beltran’s knee.

It caused him to almost 100 games in 2010 and half a season in 2009. He hasn’t experienced any problems this year, but is essentially playing with a knee that has almost no cartilage for the rest of his career.

Zack Wheeler is the hot young prospect that is said to be included in the deal. The 21-year-old pitcher is the complete package and is currently on the fast track to the big leagues. He was the No. 2 prospect overall entering this season, according to Baseball America.

In a league that treats star pitchers like gold, that’s a lot to give up.

What makes the situation even worse is that Beltran may just be a two-month rental.

Sure he won’t command a seven-year, $119 million deal like the one he scored with the Mets, but this guy has shown it’s all about the dough in the past—loyalties take a backseat.

I’m not ripping him for this, as he has every right to do it. Yet it’s a huge risk for the Giants. If they can’t re-sign him, the offense will be in the same hole again next season...without one of the top prospects in the game.

The Giants will have money to spend next year in free agency considering they are reaping all of the benefits that come with winning a World Series. But if teams like the Yankees or Dodgers make some sort of gigantic offer for Beltran—see ya later.

Even if the Giants do win the bidding war, they have a 34-year-old with bum knees that conceded the fact he can’t play center field anymore. He’s stolen a grand total of six bases since the beginning of 2010 and that speed isn’t coming back.

So let’s get this straight: His speed is gone, his range in the field is gone and his power has dropped of a cliff.

Sound like a guy worth $50 million over four years to you?

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