On Sunday, reports out of the Dominican Republic spoke of a $96 million, 6-year deal between Adrian Beltre and the Texas Rangers. The reports were premature, and MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan is reporting that “nothing is remotely imminent." Still, it seems likely that the Rangers have pulled into the lead in the competition for the third baseman’s services.
Last we had heard, the Angels had made a strong offer to Beltre’s camp, presumably in the area of the $75 million, 5-year deal he was seeking. The Angels would later pull that offer off the table. If the figures on this latest offer from the Rangers are even close to being accurate, it’s hard to imagine Beltre would wait very long before accepting.
Of course, it’s also hard to imagine that the reports of these dramatically increasing offers are entirely accurate. It’s counter-intuitive that, as Adrian Beltre’s market has gotten smaller, the offers he has received have gotten larger. Given Scott Boras’ penchant for using misinformation to his advantage, any new figures must be taken with a grain of salt.
For Boston, a deal with the Rangers would result in the Red Sox receiving a higher compensation pick. Texas’ first round pick is #26 overall, while the Angels would only have to forfeit their second round pick, which will likely end up towards 70-or-higher when all is said and done.