Rangers, Beltre Compromise is a Win

Adrian Beltre, depending on who you ask, might just be the best player in Texas Rangers history. If he's not, he's definitely right up there, both in terms of on-field play and in adoration from the Rangers' fans.

So when there was talk during spring training that Beltre and his agent, Scott Boras, were looking for a three-year extension worth around $16 million a year that would've locked Beltre up until his age 40 season.

And it would've been well within the Rangers' right, as hard as it might've been, to let Beltre walk because that's just a lot of money to commit to a guy whose body is broken 10 times over.

But, he continues to perform at an elite level and play through injuries, so much so that Jeff Banister — a guy who was briefly paralyzed after breaking his back, only to make it to the bigs afterward — said he's the toughest player he's ever been associated with. He's just easy to love, and when you watch him play, it makes it even that much easier.

So, when the Rangers and Boras/Beltre settled on Friday night to the tune of a two-year deal worth $18 million a year, it was a huge sigh of relief. Sure, it would've made sense to let him walk and it would've been hard to be mad at the Rangers. But to lock him up, and not at such a huge commitment, is huge for the organization.

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