Carlos Beltran, Yankees Agree on Three-Year Contract

Carlos Beltran is going to the New York Yankees per multiple reports Friday night, including the Daily News’ Mark Feinsand who broke the news. The deal is for three years and $45 million. Beltran played for the Cardinals last season and was a member of the New York Mets from 2005-11.

The move comes less than 12 hours after Robinson Cano left New York to sign with Seattle for 10 years and $240 million. The Yankees have now signed Brian McCann for $85 million, Jacoby Ellsbury for over $150 million and now Beltran.

Beltran creates a logjam in the Yankees outfield with Alfonso Soriano, Vernon Wells, Ichiro, Brett Gardner and Ellsbury all under contract. Expect Gardner’s name to hit the trading block. Wells and Ichiro are in the last year of their contracts so something could happen as we near Spring Training. If Alex Rodriguez’s suspension is upheld it would create a spot in lineup, too.

Soriano and Beltran will likely see a lot of time at designated hitter.

There’s no doubting Beltran’s skill (.283/.359/.496, lifetime) and ability to hit in the postseason, however he’s 36. It means as of today the Yankees have a roster featuring: Derek Jeter (40); Ichiro (40); A-Rod (38); Soriano (38); Hiroki Kuroda (38); Beltran (36); Wells (35); Mark Teixeira (34) and CC Sabathia (33). Kuroda re-signed earlier Friday. Of that list, only A-Rod, Beltran, Teixeira and Sabathia are under contract beyond 2014.

Until the news of the signing broke, Beltran had been strongly linked toward a return to the Kansas City Royals.