Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers hits an RBI single in the third inning against the Seattle Mariners. (Photo : Getty Images/Otto Greule Jr. )
Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre signed for two more years to remain in Texas. He is already 37 years old and will likely retire at the end of the deal in 2018.
According to Evan Grant of Dallas Morning News, the Rangers and Beltre agreed to a two-year, $36 million deal. It's not yet official but multiple sources have confirmed that the deal has already been finalized.
The four-time MLB All-Star was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2016 season but the two sides have a mutual interest in a contract extension. However, there were reports saying that Beltre wanted to sign a three-year deal that pays $19 million per year.
If the Dominican slugger finishes his career in Texas, it would be his longest tenure in a team. He played his first six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners in 2005.
Beltre played four years in Seattle before entering free agency again in 2009. He then signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox and finished ninth in AL MVP voting.
His resurgent year in Boston earned him a five-year, $80 million deal with the Rangers. Many analysts criticized the move but Beltre proved that he still has it by helping Texas reached the World Series in his first year.
In his six years with the Rangers, he has a batting average of .309 with 137 home runs and 470 RBIs. His career has been Hall of Fame worthy and will likely get enshrined some time after he hangs up his boots, per Sports Illustrated.
Beltre will go down as one of the best third basemen in MLB history. If he stays healthy this season and the next two years, he will break some records that will cement his place as a future member of Cooperstown.
He currently has 415 career home runs and only needs 60 more to crack the top 30 all-time. He only needs 219 hits to join the elite 3,000-hits club and also sits second behind Brooks Robinson in games started at third base.
Advanced stats also shows that Beltre is one of the best players ever as his 84.8 career-WAR is good for 52nd all time. The only thing missing on his resume is a World Series ring and he only has three seasons to accomplish it.
"You might not believe me but I don't really care about the numbers. The only thing I am missing is to be a champion, and then I can retire anytime I want," Beltre told SI.
Here is a video showing some of the highlights of Beltre's career.
