The Cleveland Indians are reportedly among the most serious and aggressive suitors for one of the biggest free agent prizes available still on the MLB free agent market in Carlos Beltran. While the 34-year-old is past his prime, he’s still a fine outfield bat to bring in and would help bolster an already formidable batting order.
Scott Miller writes, "The Indians have been scrounging around for ways to improve their offense all winter, and their late entry into the Beltran talks Wednesday added intrigue as the outfielder moves toward making a final decision. Cleveland has been a distant admirer before — the Indians spoke with the Mets last July about acquiring him in a deal. Beltran had no-trade powers then and, eventually, approved a deal to San Francisco. The Giants talked about bringing him back early in the off-season but scotched that idea fairly quickly because of a tight budget.
“Adding Beltran not only would give Cleveland another potent bat that it seeks, but also depth behind center fielder Grady Sizemore. Banged up severely in recent years, Sizemore has undergone five surgeries in the past two seasons, including one to fix a microfracture in his knee. The Indians are set at the corner outfield spots with Mickey Brantley and Shin Soo-Choo, and at DH with Travis Hafner.”
Most of the acquisitions in the AL Central this off-season have been about pitching, so this would be an exciting addition to a division that’s now wide open. The Tigers undoubtedly remain the favorites, but each fan base has reasons to believe.