Houston Astros interest in Carlos Beltran remains strong

Carlos Beltran had one of the greatest postseason runs in baseball history with the Houston Astros. Is a reunion in the works?

After a busy week of wheeling and dealing that saw them sign starting pitcher Charlie Morton and outfielder Josh Reddick and complete a trade for catcher Brian McCann, the Houston Astros continue to have a strong interest in Carlos Beltran. Beltran is entering his age-40 season but appears to have plenty left in the tank. The DH played for the Astros briefly in 2004, and hit eight home runs in 12 games while batting .434 as Houston came a game short of the World Series.

The Astros have drastically increased spending since bottoming out at under $30 million during the height of rebuilding. They will enter 2017 with well over $100 million in payroll. Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs neatly broke down the rise of the Astros back into baseball’s upper echelon. Adding Beltran would further signal the Astros’ desire to surround their young, homegrown core with free-agent talent.

Ownership and management have changed hands since Beltran last played in Houston, but Texas is a familiar setting for him, and hitting in the middle of a lineup that features Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, and Brian McCann could be of interest as he looks to bolster his Hall of Fame case before retiring. The chance to mentor Correa, a budding superstar from Beltran’s native Puerto Rico may also be an attractive perk if the Astros can work out a deal.

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The Astros will not be alone in their pursuit of Beltran, as the New York Yankees have a strong desire to bring him back after a few months away in Texas. The Boston Red Sox also figure to make a play at him if they cannot land a bigger name like Edwin Encarnacion. A return to the Rangers also cannot be ruled out.