Beltran not bothered by rumors or by knee
Students from around the Metropolitan area receive Christmas gifts from Santa (David Wright) as Mets Ike Davis sits on Santa's lap along with Jason Bay and Carlos Beltran at Citi Field. (Dec. 14, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
Carlos Beltran does not Google himself.
The Mets' centerfielder has made a career out of tracking down fly balls, but said he doesn't have the same passion for tracking down trade rumors. So when talk swirled last week of a possible swap with Boston before the Red Sox signed Carl Crawford, Beltran was relatively immune.
"Honestly, I heard from my family, because I'm not into the computer searching," he said. "I didn't receive a call from my agent. I didn't receive a call from the organization. So I don't worry about it. The only thing I have to worry about is putting myself in the condition where I can go to spring training and help this team. I'm a Met, and I'm going to continue to work hard until I know something different."
Beltran's $18.5-million salary in 2011 is the second-highest on the Mets, and considering he's one of the top earners on a team in serious need of financial flexibility, Beltran's name comes up often in trade speculation.
But there are certainly obstacles. In the last year of a seven-year, $119-million contract he signed before the 2005 season, Beltran is facing questions about the health of his surgically repaired right knee and his ability to continue playing centerfield.
Speaking at a Mets holiday event for New York City schoolchildren at Citi Field, Beltran said he doesn't know much about new general manager Sandy Alderson, the man who will have a major role in deciding his future. Beltran, who has a no-trade clause, said the only time he'd met Alderson was at a charity event this winter.
"We didn't talk about nothing," Beltran said. "We just really said hi. That he was going to be able to take charge of the team and all that. It was good."
Most of what Beltran knows about Alderson comes from reputation.
"So far from what I've heard from other players and general managers, he's a very professional guy," he said. "A guy who knows what he's doing. He has the experience. I just haven't been able to really meet him and sit down with him."
Beltran's offseason has largely been about putting his right knee injury behind him. He said he's able to do numerous exercises, including squats and leg presses, pain free and that the knee is taking the impact well. He also plans to start running in the beginning of January.
"I feel good about it," Beltran said. "I don't feel pain in my knee. I've been training hard. I've been doing a lot of things that I wasn't capable of doing last year. So it's getting better. In my situation, unfortunately, it doesn't get better fast. It's slowly. But I'm willing to put my effort there."
He'll have plenty of time to work if he stays away from the computer. And that shouldn't be a problem.
