The 2011 MLB trade deadline is just twelve days away and the rumors are coming in by the minute. I already speculated the Braves could consider bringing Carlos Beltran to Atlanta and today we heard a few rumors to support that speculation. First came this tweet from Josh Norris, the beat writer for the Trenton Thunder:
Heard this: The #Mets are sending a scout to sit on the #Braves upper-level affiliates through the weekend.
While this could simply be the Mets doing their due diligence to scout a rival's upper-level prospects, it could also be to get an idea of who they could inquire about should they decide to move Carlos Beltran in the next week or two.
In addition to Norris' tweet, SI's Jon Heyman had this update regarding Beltran:
phillies, giants most likely for beltran, then tigers, braves.
This potential trade -- and it's sounding more and more like Beltran will indeed be moved by July 31 -- will come down to two things: the amount of money New York would be willing to absorb, and the quality of prospect(s) sent to the Mets. The outfielder is owed approximately $6 million for the final two months of the season and Atlanta (along with just about every other club in baseball) would need extra money to cover the contract. My guess is New York will unload Beltran to whichever team offers the best prospects, though they could be looking to do a pure salary dump.
Stay tuned...