New York Yankees: Carlos Beltran is a Money Player

By Mike Calendrillo | Jun 7, 2016

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran is looking to cash in again this offseason and is heating up at the right time to do it.

The 39-year-old right fielder with the balky knees did it again. Carlos Beltran hit an opposite field three-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning of a tied game against the meandering California-Anaheim-Los Angeles County Angels, lifting the New York Yankees to a much need 5-2 victory.

In a season full of “pinstriped” ups and downs, Beltran has become the one constant in a less than stellar lineup. After Monday night’s heroics, Beltran now stands at third on the club in batting average (.288), first in home runs (14), and first in RBI’s with 36; he also is leading the Bombers in categories such as games played, total bases, hits, doubles, slugging percentage and OPS. Not too shabby for a guy that looked like his best days were behind him, even as recent as early May.

Now if you’re asking yourself what sparked this resurgence of power and poise, it could be one of two things. While Alex Rodriguez was sidelined for three weeks, C-Belt (too late for a nickname?) became the full-time DH, allowing him to focus solely on hitting, but more importantly, spare his aging body from the rigors of playing everyday in right field.

More from New York Yankees

Not only did the Yanks’ outfield defense improve dramatically, something magical happened in the form of this team finally reaching the majestic .500 mark!

Fast forward to today, with Rodriguez settling back in as the every day DH, and #36 back in RF, the Yankees sit in fourth place, at 27-30. There is still a long way to go in this season, and it’s anyone’s guess as to how exactly it ends. But the one thing you can count is that Beltran will continue to grind out productive at-bats.

Why you ask? Because he’s in a contract year. And when the chips are down, Beltran shines when it’s time to get paid! Look no further than to his past contract situations.

Traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Houston Astros during the tail-end of the 2004 season, Beltran put the Astros on his back, smacking eight postseason home runs, before being handsomely overpaid by the New York Mets.

In 2012, after being traded from the Mets to San Francisco, he managed to swat seven dingers while batting .323, garnering him another hefty contract, this time with the St. Louis Cardinals. His final year as a red bird saw him hit 32 home runs and 97 RBI’s, resulting in his most recent multi-million-dollar deal.

So as the clock counts down on Beltran’s time in pinstripes (let’s face it, the 2017 Yankees will have no room for another 40-year-old DH), prepare yourself to watch this 17-year veteran play like it’s his last pay-day–because it is.

Next: New York Yankees 5 Greatest Catchers

Having already made over $190 million in his illustrious career, I’d say some American League club gives Beltran a one or two-year deal to continue to bash the ball like the Beltran of old.

Home/New York Yankees