01-09-2005, 06:39 PM
Mets reach Beltran deal
BY JON HEYMAN
STAFF WRITER
January 9, 2005, 1:08 PM EST
The Mets reached an agreement in principle this afternoon to sign star centerfielder Carlos Beltran for $119 million over seven years, making him their centerpiece player.
The Mets finalized the deal to obtain the five-tool free agent centerfielder this morning. Beltran is expected to take a physical examination on Monday with the actual signing to take place Tuesday. A press conference is also likely Tuesday.
The Mets made Beltran their No. 1 target throughout the winter. The Astros came close to reaching an agreement with Beltran but balked at including a no-trade clause in the agreement. Houston is believed to have offered at least $105M. The Yankees were in contact with agent Scott Boras throughout the day yesterday but around 6 p.m. George Steinbrenner told Yankees president Randy Levine they were not prepared to pay Beltran the $112 million Boras was requesting at the time.
The signing of Beltran caps an extremely successful winter for the Mets. They signed the best free-agent pitcher Pedro Martinez, and looked very likely to sign the best everyday player as well. Beltran hit .267 and had 38 home runs and 42 stolen bases in 2004 and played brilliantly in the postseason to lead the Astros within a game of the World Series.
Going into the week, Mets people were uncertain whether Beltran would sign with them. But they had to feel better about their chances when Boras on Friday sent them a counteroffer to their $112-million bid.
The Mets resumed serious talks after the Astros failed to sign Beltran by their midnight deadline. The Astros and Beltran's agent Scott Boras negotiated right until Houston's deadline, when talks broke off. A few contractual hurdles could not be cleared.
The Mets had been the highest bidder going into the day, but Boras had been hoping the Yankees would get into the mix. The Yankees surprised the Beltran camp by declining to meet his asking price. Yankees president Randy Levine told agent Scott Boras in a 6 p.m. phone call that the Yankees were not ready to go to $16 million per year, or $112 million total. Yankees people stayed by their phone, and it is believed they would have gotten more involved if the price dropped into the $100-million range.
Boras was in contact throughout the day with three teams, the Astros, Mets and Yankees.
A person familiar with the Yankees thinking said that while they liked the player very much, they were concerned about the luxury-tax implications of a $112-million contract, and that the timing wasn't perfect since some big contracts, like Kevin Brown and Bernie Williams, don't come off the books until next year.
George Steinbrenner was in contact with Boras several times throughout the week, and word was that Beltran was very interested in becoming a Yankee. Steinbrenner held a 90-meeting in Tampa Friday to discuss the Beltran situation, and w While his baseball people expressed a concern about Bernie Williams' diminishing skill in centerfield, his "money men'' also had their say.
One person who's talked to Yankees officials said that the Yankees might have considered re-evaluating things if they were able to make a favorable separation settlement with Jason Giambi. However, that could take until close to spring training, and would be an enormous gamble for Beltran to wait it out when he had other $100-million-plus offers on the table.
The Astros bid where few thought they would go to try to beat the large-market teams that vied for Beltran's services. It is believed they bid at least $105 million over seven years.
Astros owner Drayton McLane aggressively pursued Beltran all winter. McLane made it a personal goal to keep Beltran, who excited Astros fans with a monster postseason performance that brought them within one game of their first World Series. Most people never believed Houston would surpass the $100-million mark but it did in the final days, giving itself a fighting chance.
BY JON HEYMAN
STAFF WRITER
January 9, 2005, 1:08 PM EST
The Mets reached an agreement in principle this afternoon to sign star centerfielder Carlos Beltran for $119 million over seven years, making him their centerpiece player.
The Mets finalized the deal to obtain the five-tool free agent centerfielder this morning. Beltran is expected to take a physical examination on Monday with the actual signing to take place Tuesday. A press conference is also likely Tuesday.
The Mets made Beltran their No. 1 target throughout the winter. The Astros came close to reaching an agreement with Beltran but balked at including a no-trade clause in the agreement. Houston is believed to have offered at least $105M. The Yankees were in contact with agent Scott Boras throughout the day yesterday but around 6 p.m. George Steinbrenner told Yankees president Randy Levine they were not prepared to pay Beltran the $112 million Boras was requesting at the time.
The signing of Beltran caps an extremely successful winter for the Mets. They signed the best free-agent pitcher Pedro Martinez, and looked very likely to sign the best everyday player as well. Beltran hit .267 and had 38 home runs and 42 stolen bases in 2004 and played brilliantly in the postseason to lead the Astros within a game of the World Series.
Going into the week, Mets people were uncertain whether Beltran would sign with them. But they had to feel better about their chances when Boras on Friday sent them a counteroffer to their $112-million bid.
The Mets resumed serious talks after the Astros failed to sign Beltran by their midnight deadline. The Astros and Beltran's agent Scott Boras negotiated right until Houston's deadline, when talks broke off. A few contractual hurdles could not be cleared.
The Mets had been the highest bidder going into the day, but Boras had been hoping the Yankees would get into the mix. The Yankees surprised the Beltran camp by declining to meet his asking price. Yankees president Randy Levine told agent Scott Boras in a 6 p.m. phone call that the Yankees were not ready to go to $16 million per year, or $112 million total. Yankees people stayed by their phone, and it is believed they would have gotten more involved if the price dropped into the $100-million range.
Boras was in contact throughout the day with three teams, the Astros, Mets and Yankees.
A person familiar with the Yankees thinking said that while they liked the player very much, they were concerned about the luxury-tax implications of a $112-million contract, and that the timing wasn't perfect since some big contracts, like Kevin Brown and Bernie Williams, don't come off the books until next year.
George Steinbrenner was in contact with Boras several times throughout the week, and word was that Beltran was very interested in becoming a Yankee. Steinbrenner held a 90-meeting in Tampa Friday to discuss the Beltran situation, and w While his baseball people expressed a concern about Bernie Williams' diminishing skill in centerfield, his "money men'' also had their say.
One person who's talked to Yankees officials said that the Yankees might have considered re-evaluating things if they were able to make a favorable separation settlement with Jason Giambi. However, that could take until close to spring training, and would be an enormous gamble for Beltran to wait it out when he had other $100-million-plus offers on the table.
The Astros bid where few thought they would go to try to beat the large-market teams that vied for Beltran's services. It is believed they bid at least $105 million over seven years.
Astros owner Drayton McLane aggressively pursued Beltran all winter. McLane made it a personal goal to keep Beltran, who excited Astros fans with a monster postseason performance that brought them within one game of their first World Series. Most people never believed Houston would surpass the $100-million mark but it did in the final days, giving itself a fighting chance.