{"id":13755,"date":"2018-07-05T21:50:21","date_gmt":"2018-07-06T01:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/\/?p=13755"},"modified":"2018-07-09T01:59:35","modified_gmt":"2018-07-09T05:59:35","slug":"adrian-beltre-trade-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2018\/07\/05\/adrian-beltre-trade-deadline\/","title":{"rendered":"Adrian Beltre a Perfect Fit for Philadelphia Phillies Ahead of Trade Deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia Phillies<\/a> are finally a competitive team for the first time in a decade. Sitting a game and a half back of the Atlanta Braves<\/a> in the NL East and in the second wildcard spot, the Philadelphia Phillies will be looking to make moves at the trade deadline to increase their chances of punching a ticket to the postseason.\u00a0If the Phillies are looking to strengthen their lineup, then they should negotiate to bring future Hall of Fame third baseman Adrian Beltre<\/a><\/strong> to the team. Let\u2019s take a closer look as to how Beltre would make an impact on a Phillies team vying for a playoff spot.<\/p>\n

Adrian Beltre\u2019s Career Boasts Success<\/h2>\n

The obvious need for the Phillies is to strengthen their hitting. Currently, they sit in the National League 10th<\/sup> in runs scored (365), 13th<\/sup> in team batting average (.233) and 11th<\/sup> in slugging percentage (.394). They are second last in the NL in team hits, generating 649 in 84 games played.<\/p>\n

Adrian Beltre is one of the best players in this generation of Major League Baseball. At 21 years and counting, Beltre has played for four teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a>, Seattle Mariners<\/a>, Boston Red Sox<\/a> and most recently, the Texas Rangers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On all four of these stops, the star player has made an immediate impact, both hitting and on the field as a third baseman. He has a career batting average of .287, hitting .340\/.481\/.821 (OPS+ 117) over that 21-year span.<\/p>\n

Not only is he an asset hitting the ball but also on defense. He is a five-time Gold Glove winner and he can cover the hot corner effectively, demonstrated by his 2182 putouts and 5125 assists over his career.<\/p>\n

The Texas Rangers are dead last in the A.L. West, looking to sell their current assets for prospects to start a full-on rebuild. With pitcher Cole Hamels<\/a><\/strong> on the trading block, don\u2019t be surprised they try to move Beltre, whose contract is expiring at the end of this season. He has a batting average of .309, with four HRs and 26 RBIs, hitting .302\/.357\/.428 with a 109 OPS+, making him an attractable asset to acquire for teams like the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/p>\n

Adrian Beltre Third Baseman Phillies Need<\/h2>\n

The Phillies have the worst offensive production at third base in all of baseball. They are dead last with a negative 0.3 WAR, largely a result of poor hitting by Maikel Franco<\/a><\/strong>. Franco is hitting .240\/.284\/.409 with an OPS+ of 87 and has been weak defensively at third base this season.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Phillies have been averaging 3.69 runs per game over the last month, clearly outlining a need for bolstering their bats.<\/p>\n

At 39 years old, this is Adrian\u2019s golden opportunity to play a meaningful role on a young contending team.<\/p>\n

“The Phillies also have interest in Beltre, sources say, as much for his professionalism as his production,” Jon Morosi of MLB wrote.<\/a> “The Phils have the youngest group of position players in the Majors, and team officials see long-term value in Beltre’s influence on an emerging core.”<\/p>\n

The only concern surrounding the third baseman is his increased probability of getting injured. He has been on the DL four times over the last two seasons.<\/p>\n

But for Phillies GM Matt Klentak<\/strong>, the benefits of acquiring the superstar for his high baseball IQ on offense and defense outweighs the cost of his struggles with injuries.<\/p>\n

The trade deadline is the time for teams to jockey into position to get to the postseason. If the Phillies can trade for a third baseman like Beltre, they will become instant contenders in the National League, as they try to earn a postseason spot for the first time since 2011 and win the World Series for the first time since 2008.
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>