No Beltran In Detroit

The Detroit Tigers have missed out on another free agent. Carlos Beltran will not wear the old english D. Instead of being snubbed, the Tigers have opted to shy away from Beltran because of his high price tag. It is reported the starting bids are at, or above, seven years, $112 million.

"He's a player we like a great deal, as we've said all along, but where we are and what his situation is financially just doesn't mesh," Dombrowski said.

This is another let down for Tigers fans. The only real signing this off-season has been closing pitcher Troy Percival. Percival was brought to to add depth to the bullpen. Last year's closer, Urbina, will most like remain with the club as a setup man. It was believed that the Tigers would upgrade at third base and centerfield, but neither has happened.

Detroit's lack of desire to sign Beltran at such a high price should come as no surprise. The Tigers haven't seemed willing to pay $15-20 million per year for players in recent years, and now probably wouldn't be a good time to start. There are a lot of holes in the team, and there is a budget to abide by. What they save on this one player could be used for two others.

Beltran's agent, Scott Boras, said "The process is starting to move along," but does not see an imminent decision right now. Houston has a Saturday re-sign deadline, or they won't be able to sign him until May 1, something that won't happen. If he does not re-sign with Houston, I would expect Beltran to sign with (most likely) the Mets, or the Cubs.