Texas Rangers: What’s the Perfect Scenario if Adrian Beltre is Traded?

The Texas Rangers are expected to trade Adrian Beltre this summer as they seek to bring in prospects. However there is one scenario that would be a perfect outcome.

As the rumors surrounding Adrian Beltre and his possible departure from the Texas Rangers have increased, so has the backlash from fans. Adrian is the fan favorite on the team and trading him may seem an unforgivable sin. However, what if the Rangers could get him back in 2019? He does have an expiring contract after all.

According to Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports, Beltre has voiced his desire to play for the Texas Rangers next season. Now this could mean that the future Hall of Famer will be reluctant to approve a trade away from Arlington. Since he has a full no-trade clause, it’s 100% Adrian’s decision. But as various outlets have mentioned, what if Beltre was traded but resigned with the Rangers come 2019? This would be the perfect storm. While missing out on his lovable antics and just all around awesomeness for a few months would be miserable, the allure of flipping him for strong prospects and still ending up with him in the end would no doubt make the agony worth it.

Comparing Two Situations

Now this was a situation that many thought Texas may pursue in 2018 when they made a deadline deal to move Yu Darvish to the Los Angeles Dodgers for top prospect, Willie Calhoun. Like Adrian, Darvish had an expiring contract meaning he could resign with the Rangers in the offseason and Texas would’ve received a future starter for essentially renting Darvish out. Obviously that scenario didn’t come to fruition as Yu elected to sign with the Chicago Cubs. To be truthful, the Texas Rangers also didn’t pursue him all that aggressively. But Darvish’s situation is also much different that Beltre. Darvish was considered one of the top starters in baseball and right in the prime of his career. He was looking to cash in both with his contract and hopes to win a World Series.

Beltre on the other hand, is 39 years old and will be 40 come next season. Now he’s still considered one of the better players in baseball, but his value is not nearly what Darvish’s was. He also is looking to wrap up his career in a place he feels comfortable. While Yu is looking to make the most of his best years, Beltre’s legacy is cemented. No, he hasn’t won a World Series. But he is one of the best third baseman ever and should walk himself right into Cooperstown. These factors help Texas as obviously this is where Adrian feels at home and he’s already voiced his desire to stay.

Next: Who are the Texas Rangers “Untouchables” in Trade Talks?

Could the Rangers get Adrian to agree to an amicable move this summer that would allow him to play for a contender one more time and get Texas prospects? Could they also get him to resign for next season? If so, I think this is a no-brainer that has to happen no matter how much it may hurt.