San Francisco Giants Trade Rumors: Top 5 Reasons Carlos Beltran Is a Great Fit

Timothy HowellJun 6, 2018

The word on the street was that Carlos Beltran didn't want to go to an American League team. One year ago, we also heard that Cliff Lee was a lock for the New York Yankees.When it comes to red-hot Trade Rumors, you can't always trust what you hear—even if you did read it on Twitter.

Lee landed in Texas after all last year, and with the Rangers on his "short-list" for trade destinations, why couldn't the defending AL Champions add him to their highly formidable offense?

As early as late afternoon, it appeared to be a two-horse race for Beltran's bat. The two foes are certainly familiar—it was a rematch of last year's World Series counterparts: The San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.

Once again, it was the Giants that prevailed.

Thus with the addition of the most-coveted free agent on the market this year, the Giants have taken a huge step towards retaining their status as World Series Champions.

Carlos Beltran is a great fit in San Francisco—and here are the Top 5 reasons why.

Why Carlos Beltran Is Great for San Francisco—Reason No. 5: Good Trade

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According to MLBtraderumers.com, Zack Wheeler was sent to New York straight-up for Carlos Beltran.

Wheeler was a 2009 first-rounder and the sixth overall pick taken. He was ranked as the 55th best prospect preseason by Baseball America and is currently in High-A, where he is showing power stuff.

Wheeler had a 3.99 ERA in the California League with Fresno, prior to the trade, and had 98 strikeouts in 88 innings pitched.

It looks like the 21-year-old Wheeler will be an excellent pitcher in the big leagues one day. If there is anything more speculative than trade speculations, then it's evaluating a prospect's future.

This much we all know now: Carlos Beltran is a proven major league quantity. He is a solid teammate with a track record of offensive and defensive excellence and a nice share of playoff savvy.

Everyone hates to lose prospects, but Beltran to the Giants in many ways improves San Francisco much like Lee did the Rangers a year ago. Trading is always a gamble—but losing a key prospect is well worth a possible return trip to the World Series.

If Beltran can help the Giants' offense as much as is projected, it won't matter if Wheeler turns into the next Cy Young contender—the trade will have been worth it.

Why Carlos Beltran Is Great for San Francisco—No. 4: He Strenghtens the Bench

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Early reports this afternoon by MLBtraderumors.com were that Pat Burrell would be released by the Giants after the Beltran trade went through. However, according to San Francisco Chronicle reporter Henry Schulman—via Twitter—the Giants will not release the veteran left fielder.

Burrell, after an excellent 2010 campaign (.266 and 18 HR), has struggled at the plate in 2011—batting just .233 with 7 home runs. Burrell to the bench makes sense as it adds a valuable pinch hitter that may come in handy down the stretch.

The move also places rookie right-fielder/first baseman Brandon Belt back down in Triple-A. He has struggled at times in his first stint in the big leagues and may need some more minor league seasoning. Belt will be available for a call-up when the MLB rosters expand for the playoffs.

Beltran (in all likelihood) will force Rowand to the bench strengthens the club in terms of depth—especially in the outfield.

Why Carlos Beltran Is Great for San Francisco—No. 3: Improved Outfield Defense

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Normally, when you can read the center fielder's jersey number and his name it's a bad sign for the pitcher. Not with Carlos Beltran in CF—despite balky knees—the 34-year-old can still flash the leather.

Beltran has won three Gold Glove Awards, all in the last five years of his 12-year career. He may not be as fast as he was prior to recent knee surgery, but he runs excellent routes and will be an immediate positive impact on the Giants defensively.

Granted, the Giants outfield pre-Beltran isn't awful, but of all the players that have had their fair share of playing time this year, only one, Aaron Rowand, has won a Gold Glove Award before (2007).

Beltran will make those around him much better with his still-excellent closing speed and ability to make adjustments when tracking down a fly-ball. Beltran's range will diminish the need for his outfield counterparts to cover too much ground.

Why Carlos Beltran Is Great for San Francisco—No. 2: Pitchers Can Relax a Little

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The San Francisco Giants pitching staff is the best rotation in Major League Baseball. They're first in ERA at 3.09, (a smidgen ahead of the Phillies' 3.11) first in opponent's' batting average at .228 and second only to the aforementioned Phillies in WHIP at 1.20.

So as a whole, they have very little to worry about. But when your club is the 26th worst hitting team (.241 BA) and has an outfield featuring some guys either below average defensively (Burrell) or playing out of position entirely (Huff, Belt—both true first basemen), well that can cause your pitching staff some unwarranted anxiety.

As mentioned in the previous slide, Carlos Beltran improves the defending World Series Champs' defense immediately. He turns what might be base hits (or errors) into outs, and he might make the big league's best pitching staff even better.

And we haven't even gotten to how well Carlos Beltran can hit yet...

Why Carlos Beltran Is Great for San Francisco—No. 1: Remarkably Improves Offense

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After Beltran lost almost an entire season to injury over the 2009 and 2010 seasons combined, many began to whisper that Beltran's bat just might not bounce back.

For all of 2011, it has been more than apparent that Beltran—six-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger—was back in peak form.

Beltran is currently batting .289 with 15 homers and 66 RBI—he'll be second to Pablo Sandoval's .299 BA and well ahead of Huff (47) in RBI. His 15 big-flies will be six ahead of his nearest competitor on the Giants (Sandoval).

And you'd better believe the sweet-swinging left-hander will launch his fair share of bombs into the depths of McCovey's Cove beyond the right-field seats.

I'm a Texas Rangers fan, and I'm excited about what Beltran can do for the Giants. If you're a Giants fan, you should be absolutely rapturous with merry-making mirth.

The biggest trade of the 2011 Trade Deadline—complete with the biggest name, Carlos Beltran—has gone down. And it might just make the San Francisco Giants World Series-bound once again.