Carlos Beltran, a second-round pick of the Charlottesville Meadows in The Strat-O-Matic League a number of years ago, was once a stellar defensive center fielder, a premier base stealer, and a solid power-hitting pinch hitter.
His career triple slash line (batting average, on base percent, slugging percentage) is .282/.361/.494 as of today.
These are all above league-average marks, but below the elite trifecta of .300/.400/.500.
In the 2001, 2003, 2008, and 2009 seasons he was above his current career mark in all three categories, so we might consider those his best years.
Last year, following knee issues for a couple of seasons, he struggled to a .255/.341/.427 line in 255 plate appearances. His injuries limited him to 612 plate appearances over the prior two seasons, and also changed him from a reliable 15+ steal guy (with a high of 42 in 2004) to a non-thief (3 steals in 2010).
In 2011, the final year of his contract with the Mets, he was moved to right field to protect his knees. It seems to be working, as he put up solid numbers for the out-of-contention Mets before being traded to the Giants for #1 pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.
Since he's a Meadow who is now a Giant, he becomes doubly a favorite, along with Pablo Sandoval and Sergio Romo. Woo-hoo!
Now the only questions are whether Beltran adds what the Giants hope he will and whether Wheeler is an eventual top of the rotation ace whom the Giants will regret trading for a rent-a-player.
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