Adrian Beltre Agrees with Red Sox: Offensive Woes Answered?

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The Boston Red Sox just signed former Seattle Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre to a one-year, $9 million deal.

Beltre, who belted (pun fully intended) 48 home runs in 2004 with the Los Angeles Dodgers but has been on a very large downswing with the Seattle Mariners, who he joined for the 2005 season.

Beltre never hit more than 26 home runs with Seattle. He had an average around .266 for most of his Mariners career (not that different from the recently departed Jason Bay's .267 average with Boston) and never had more than 99 RBI in a season. In 2009, Beltre hit .265 with eight (yes, just eight) home runs, 44 RBI, an OBP of .304 and a slugging percentage of .379 for an OPS of .683 in 111 games. Not great numbers, but passable.

Beltre has definitely come a long way from 48 homers back in 2004. But a bigger and more important question looms: how, if at all, will Adrian Beltre help the Red Sox lineup?

If Beltre can use the Green Monster to his advantage, expect around 20 homers and the .265 average he posted in Seattle. However, if Beltre can't adjust, look for the Red Sox to unload him at all costs around the trade deadline.

Beltre certainly won't replace Bay's bat in the lineup, and he definitely isn't any Adrian Gonzalez; but he should be a decent stopgag until the Red Sox can sign someone better in the 2010-2011 offseason.