Carlos Beltran: The One That Got Away for San Francisco Giants

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran is off to a blistering start after signing a two-year contract worth $26 million this offseason. 

The 35-year-old outfielder already has 10 homers to go with a batting line of .284/.391/.569 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage).  Beltran would currently be leading the San Francisco Giants in homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and runs batted in. 

Given Beltran's immense talent, why didn't the Giants make every attempt to re-sign this guy after trading their best pitching prospect to get him from the New York Mets before the trading deadline last season? 

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle interviewed Giants general manager Brian Sabean during the winter after Beltran fled for St. Louis.

During that interview, Sabean explained the Giants' logic, or lack of it, by saying that Beltran would have been a difficult fit because of the glut of corner outfielders already on the roster, and more importantly, the Giants would not have been able to afford to keep their pitching staff together while also retaining Beltran.  Sabean also said that like St. Louis, the Giants would not go beyond two years with Beltran.

I do agree with Sabean's argument that going beyond two years with Beltran would be a mistake.  His injury history and age did not warrant anything more than a two-year deal with a team option for an extra year that could be exercised if he proved to be healthy during the guaranteed portion of the contract.

I also understand the financial limitations that Sabean was working under.  However, the main culprit of those financial limitations were the failed financial commitments made by Sabean to Aubrey Huff, Barry Zito and Aaron Rowand, totaling over $40 million this season. 

Even with the financial limitations that Sabean helped create, the Giants could have afforded Beltran by declining to exercise Jeremy Affeldt's contract option for this season and by leaving Melky Cabrera in center field rather than acquiring Angel Pagan. 

Affeldt and Pagan's contracts equal $10 million for this season, not quite the $13 million that Beltran is making, but enough to give the Giants a chance to defer the difference onto next season.

While I do think the Giants should have done everything in their power to re-sign Beltran, it is important to note that it is much easier to play armchair general manager than it is to be the real GM of the Giants. 

Sabean and his staff obviously have a lot more inside information, medical information, knowledge and experience than I do.  They also have to make decisions in real time, while I have the benefit of hindsight.

Also, even if the Giants had matched the Cardinals' offer or added an option year to the contract offer, there is no guarantee that Beltran would have stayed.  The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly offered more money than the Cardinals, but in the end Beltran decided that he wanted to play for the defending champions. 

There were difficult obstacles preventing the Giants from keeping him, but there is no question in my mind that Sabean should have done more to keep him.  Players as great as Beltran do not come around very often, and the opportunity to put Beltran behind Cabrera and in front of Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey was too great to pass up. 

The Giants should have done more to keep him, and that mistake is a big reason why the offense continues to sputter.