MLB Free Agents 2012: Carlos Beltran Is a Risk Worth Taking for Rockies

The Colorado Rockies' 2011 season fell apart because of a lack of depth and horrible management by Jim Tracy. The team is looking to fix one of those problems this offseason by putting in offers to free agents Carlos Beltran and Michael Cuddyer, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman. 

While Cuddyer does put up solid numbers across the board on offense, I don't see him as being a good fit for a National League team. He is not a good defensive player, either in the outfield or at first base, and he is a compiler, that is he seemed to hit better against the lower-level pitchers in the AL Central. 

Moving Cuddyer from the American League Central, where Justin Verlander is the only dominant starter, to the National League West, which has Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and three spacious parks that don't produce a lot of runs, would be murder for his numbers. 

Beltran, on the other hand, provides a lot of upside that the Rockies can use. He may never be the superstar that he once was because age and injuries have robbed him of a lot of the athleticism that made him one of the most dynamic players in the game, but he is still a much better fit for this team. 

The Rockies have fallen behind the pack in the National League West. They are clearly the third best team in the division right now and have to make adjustments if they want to get back to contending on a consistent basis. 

Beltran is not that kind of game-changing player anymore, nor does he solve the rotation problems this team still has, but he is a step in the right direction for them. 

The only thing that would give me trepidation in going after Beltran is the fact that he is represented by Scott Boras. 

Don't get me wrong, if I had the ability to play Major League Baseball, I would want Boras to represent me. But from the perspective of a team, he is going to drag them through the wringer for every last cent that he can. 

Boras might tell any team negotiating for Beltran will have to pay him like a top star or give him three or four years. I would not give him either one because of his injury history. He still has upside, but the risk is too great to give him top dollars or more years than he is worth. 

But if the Rockies don't have to give up a lot of money or years to land Beltran, he is a risk that would be worth taking for this team to get back into contention in 2012. 

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