Mets' Carlos Beltran: Trade To Phillies, Red Sox, Giants, 2 Others OK, But No DH
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Carlos Beltran is likely entering his last week in a Mets uniform. Once the dust settles on the July 31 trading deadline, Beltran could be playing for the Braves, Rangers, Giants, Red Sox or Phillies.
All good options, according to the Mets' All-Star outfielder.
"Those teams are in first place. Almost," Beltran told reporters on Sunday. "The only one that is not in first place is Atlanta, but they're ahead in the wild card. Yeah, if that happens, I would love to be with one of those teams."
"Right now, when they approach me about the teams, then I will decide if I would love to go to that place or not," he added. "I made it clear to (the Mets) that teams that are in contention are the ones that I'm willing to go to."
The Giants could be favored to land Beltran, if only they were willing to give up a top prospect like pitcher Zach Wheeler or first baseman Brandon Belt. San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean is on the fence about trading for "one silver bullet."
"I think we need to upgrade. Whether that can happen in a significant way, I'm not sure," Sabean said. "I don't believe there's one silver bullet. Quite frankly, the lineup needs a lot of help."
The Phillies and Braves are stocked with young talent -- if they're willing to give it up for a two-month rental. According to the New York Daily News, Beltran will likely be the only Mets player moved before the deadline. A source told the paper there's "no activity on any other player at the moment."
"I mean, it's going to be convenient for the organization, for sure, but it also has to be convenient for me," said Beltran, who holds a no-trade clause. "If it's convenient for both, we move forward."
If Beltran has to be dealt outside the National League, he has a message for the Mets: no DH.
"I want to make it clear that I would love to play in the outfield. So I'm not going to an American League team to be a DH," he said. "That's something I'm not willing to do, and I'm not going to do it because I feel it's not going to work for me."
Beltran, batting .291 with 63 RBI on the season, is trying to take the speculation in stride. For manager Terry Collins, however, it hasn't been so easy.
"I'm worn out by it," Collins said. "I'm worn out by the conversations. And I know it's all part of the game. It's all part of my job. It's all part of your jobs to ask the questions. They have to be asked and they have to be answered."
"For me, honestly, I don't think about it," admitted Beltran. "Why am I going to think about it when it's something that hasn't happened yet?"
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