Not signing Beltre was the turning point

[Mark68]

There was a substantial percentage of people here that wanted him signed, the only holdouts being a few "contract year" worried folks and the contrarians.

 

It was a huge turning point.  I've thought how huge it was for a long time. 

 

Reagins expected to sign Crawford, shows up at Crawford's hotel room with contract in hand only to be laughed at and sent away by the Sox people and Crawford's people after he signed with the Sox but didn't tell Reagins.  He didn't have a Plan B, and I forget if Beltre had signed by that point or if they were just too stupid to understand that Plan B with Beltre would've been better the Crawford as Plan A, but neither happened, he and Arte panic and they trade Naps and Rivera for Big Vern.

They signed about a month apart. Crawford on 12/11/10 and Beltre on 1/5/11.

[Richard]

Am I reading this wrong, because the way I am reading it sounds like Beltre wanted the Angels to sign him after hearing they got Pujols? If I'm not mistaken Beltre was a free agent the year before Pujols was.

 

 

Horribly worded, my mistake. This interview took place after the Pujols signing and talked about how the year before Beltre was "begging" the angels to sign him. 

[Scott34]

It hurts my soul listening to Gammons say that.

[Stradling]

I was in the "He's too expensive and will get hurt" club. I thought he was a great sign for four years, a risky sign that would backfire at five years and a horrible sign at six years. I was wrong so far.

[JAHV76]

Imagine what Hatcher would have done to Beltre's swing?

[YouthofToday]

I was in the "He's too expensive and will get hurt" club. I thought he was a great sign for four years, a risky sign that would backfire at five years and a horrible sign at six years. I was wrong so far.

Beltre has 15.9 WAR so far in a little more than 3 years with the Rangers. It would take a Josh Hamilton level amount of suckage for his contract to not end up as perhaps the best free agent signing of a marquee player since the 1994 labor troubles.

[Troll Daddy]

I also was on the Beltre bandwagon at the time. Beltre has family in LA and wanted to play close by ... which is common knowledge. His signing would of changed the whole structure of the team ... but why worry about 'what could of been'.

 

Life revolves around the word 'IF' it seems.

[LAA Road Tripper]

I was on the sign Beltre wagon. It seemed to me that if the Angels ever had a case to overpay, it was here due to the fact that 3rd base has been a black hole since the days of Glaus.

But then I also loved the Pujols signing thinking that it would be terrible after Year 5 or 6 but figured that getting a solid few seasons out of him was a good tradeoff. And although I wasn't crazy about the Hamilton signing, I didn't mind it that much thinking that they could trade some outfield assets for two solid pitchers. Didn't happen which was unfortunate. I didn't believe they did enough with just Morales for Vargas.

[SmallSampleSize]

It hurts my soul listening to Gammons say that.

 

It hurts my soul's soul hearing it. 

 

Hindsight is 20/20, but this one sure is a MF'er.

[Mark68]

I also was on the Beltre bandwagon at the time. Beltre has family in LA and wanted to play close by ... which is common knowledge. His signing would of changed the whole structure of the team ... but why worry about 'what could of been'.

 

Life revolves around the word 'IF' it seems.

I never worry about "what could of been". "What could have been", on the other hand...

[russell2626]

Lets not forget the litter box they call a stadium he's been playing in. Eckstein coulda hit 25 bombs in that place.

Um nice try:

 

this year:

 

Home .329 BA, 12 HR, 32 RBI

Away: .311/13/38

 

Those two HR's this past series sure weren't in "that litter box"

[Stradling]

So this is slightly off topic, but I know that lady that bought Beltre's house that is in Bradbury. It is kinda nice to say the least.