Rangers, Beltre having 'preliminary discussions' about extension
Adrian Beltre will turn 37 around Opening Day, but the Texas Rangers know how valuable he is to their team.
In 2015, Beltre managed to play in 143 games despite a few nagging injuries and still hit .287/.334/.453 with 18 home runs, 83 RBI and a 5.8 WAR. He's an above-average player on both offense and defense even when dealing with annoying injuries, and is a beloved leader in the clubhouse.
Within this context, it makes total sense to see that the Rangers are exploring a contract extension with Beltre, whose current deal runs out after the 2016 season. Rangers GM Jon Daniels said as much during a recent appearance on MLB Network (as passed along by FOX Sports Southwest analyst Greg Tepper on Twitter):
This update comes after the club was said to be interested in keeping Beltre in Arlington back in December.
The Rangers' blend of fiery young talent, veteran pitching and accomplished hitters fueled the club's AL West title in 2015, and they're obviously hoping to keep Beltre around for a while -- perhaps for the rest of his big-league career.
