Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran is looking to sign with a playoff contender. He will more than likely land with an American League team this winter being that he is 36-years-old and will be 37 at the end of April 2014. His days of roaming the outfield are all but over and he could fit nicely as a designated hitter somewhere.
The Kansas City Royals are a team that have not made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 1985. They are also a team that has a lot of prospects that are going to be counted on realizing their full potential in 2014. Players like Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain are all players that are going to have to get into the swing of things. The Royals may look to add Beltran as a veteran leader that a team like the Royals need.
Beltran is coming off a season with the St. Louis Cardinals where he played in 145 games, batted .296/.339/.491 with 24 home runs and 84 RBI. That’s a stellar year for someone his age. He also had two homers and 15 RBI in the postseason before the team lost to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. There is no doubt that he has some game left in him and finishing where he started with the Royals could be ideal.
However, Kansas City already has a designated hitter in Billy Butler. Butler played in all 162 games driving in 82 RBI batting .289/.374/.412. He has played some games at first base but has not played there primarily since 2010 before Hosmer was called up to the big leagues.
Beltran would make the team better, but there is no actual spot for him unless he does not want to play every day. Kansas City would also have to get into a bidding war with the big money teams and that is something that they will not do.
