The time is now (or insert favorite cliché about their proverbial championship window closing), but make no mistake: The two trades the Texas Rangers executed on Monday were a sign that the reigning American League West champions are going for broke in 2016.
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Beltran hit.304 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs in NY and is expected to hit in the middle of the Rangers lineup. Beltrans trade follows deals that sent relievers Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs and Andrew Miller to Cleveland. “But when it happens, it hits you”, Beltran said. In the final campaign of a three-year, $45 million deal, the 39-year-old switch hitter is batting.304 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in 99 games with the Yankees.
For a franchise that has come close twice, reaching the World Series in both 2010 and 2011, only to fall short on both occasions in the Fall Classic, the time is now to not only return to the Series, but to win it for the first time in franchise history.
Beltran has batted.281 with 414 home runs in 1,507 regular-season games with Kansas City, Houston, the New York Mets, San Francisco, St. Louis and Yankees.
A nine-time All-Star after making this years AL roster, Beltran has a.281 career average with 414 home runs.
Beltran joins a Texas team that recently lost slugger Prince Fielder, who had been their primary designated hitter, to season-ending neck surgery. The Dodgers are patching together what they can while Kershaw recovers from a herniated disk in his lower back. “This is a rare opportunity with some of these players on the market where we wanted to back the club up and put us in a better position to win”. The Jays have been hot and now hold a wild card spot and are just half a game behind Baltimore for first place in the AL East.
A couple of months after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors to win the National Basketball Association championship, the Indians are set to make a run to the World Series for the first time since 1997. Cleveland acquired Andrew Miller from the Yankees to revamp its bullpen with a new closer. Shortstop Gleyber Torres, a top Dominican prospect, was obtained from the Cubs.
The big deal of the day, of course, was the last-minute trade with Milwaukee for catcher Lucroy and reliever Jeffress.
Among the half-dozen names that left the Texas organization Monday were young pitchers Dillon Tate and Luis Ortiz and outfielder Lewis Brinson.
Sellers for the first time since 1989, the New York Yankees sent veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran to the Texas Rangers on Monday for a trio of minor leaguers.
So as the non-waiver trade deadline rumors end and the dust settles, the Rangers and Indians are the most improved teams in baseball. They tried to get Milwaukee’s Lucroy, but he rejected a trade, allowed by his contract.
The 30-year-old Lucroy is batting.299 with 13 homers and 50 RBIs this season. He’s owed what’s left of his $4 million contract this season, and he has a $5.25 million club option that will certainly be exercised barring a catastrophic injury. The only thing that could be done is to find a right fielder, move Bryce Harper to center and let Trea Turner, a recent catalyst at the top of the order, sit. A relief pitcher is never something to get too excited about due to their limited use.
Lucroy took to Twitter to thank the Brewers faithful, tweeting: “Thank you Brewers fans for everything!” He has a 5.15 ERA in 21 starts over three minor league season.
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Rodriguez started on July 22 against Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner and didn’t surface in the lineup again until Saturday night against Rays lefty Drew Smyly – a stretch of six games without a start. He was a first-round pick by the Rangers (#29 overall) in the 2012 draft, and despite an early slump and an injury this year, had returned to hitting well in Frisco this year.
