Beltran Unlikely To Be A Cub
Mike Kiley reports in the Chicago Sun-Times that the Cubs “privately . . . realize their chances to sign free-agent center fielder Carlos Beltran are dimming by the minute and almost completely extinguished” because “Beltran has to decide before Jan. 8 whether to remain in Houston or jump to the New York Yankees.” January 8 is the day his negotiating window with the Astros ends. The Cubs likely will not have traded Sammy Sosa by then, if at all.
Of course, if the Cubs really wanted Beltran, they’d increase the budget for the one year Sosa and Beltran are on the team together and/or severely backload Beltran’s contract so that the 2005 budget is barely affected.