Red Sox vs the AL East: right fielders
By Conor Duffy
Aug 17, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Carlos Beltran (36) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
5. Carlos Beltran, Yankees
More than any other Yankee acquisition last offseason, Beltran totally flopped in 2014. Beltran missed a great deal of time with an elbow injury, playing in only 109 games for the Yankees, but he was awful even when he was on the field, slashing .233/.301/.402 with terrible defense, checking in at -0.5 WAR. With some extra luck and a healthy season, it’s fair to imagine that Beltran could improve a bit in 2015, especially considering his .252 BABIP last season. However, at 37 years old, it’s also unreasonable to expect some sort of massive resurgence from the switch-hitter. Beltran will provide some power and should be at least replacement level going forward, but it’s looking like his 3 year/$45M was a mistake by New York.