Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer Elected To Hall Of Fame
Third baseman Adrian Beltre, catcher Joe Mauer and power-hitting first baseman Todd Helton were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, with both Beltre and Mauer getting in on their first ballot. Helton was elected on his sixth try. Beltre had 95.1% of the votes, Helton at 79.7%, and Mauer at 76.1%. Closer Billy Wagner (73.8%) fell just five votes shy and will have his last chance in 2025. Slugger Gary Sheffield (63.9%) didn't get the required support in his 10th and final ballot. Beltre is a member of the 400-homer club and was one of the best defensive third basemen of all time. Helton played his entire 17-year career with the Rockies and was a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger. Mauer was arguably the best catcher of his generation after being taken as the No. 1 overall pick in 2001. He was a six-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger and three-time batting champion.
Rangers Not Expected To Give Qualifying Offer To Adrian Beltre
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has yet to make a decision on retirement, but general manager Jon Daniels said he doesn't expect to offer the veteran a qualifying offer after the World Series. However, if Beltre decides to come back for another year, the Rangers will work out the right contract. Beltre spent multiple stints on the disabled list with lower-body injuries in 2018, and his power was noticeably down. The 39-year-old hit .273/.328/.434 with 15 home runs and 65 RBI in 119 games. Health will continue to be an issue if he returns, and the Rangers will likely give him plenty of rest. At best, Beltre will be a power option at corner infield in deep mixed leagues.
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre (hip) is back in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners. Beltre has been battling a sore hip recently, so that's why he's been seeing increased off days. He'll bat cleanup and serve as the DH against lefty Wade LeBlanc. Beltre is hitting .286/.324/.686 with three home runs and seven RBI over the last two weeks. He should be a solid fantasy option on Friday.
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre (rest) and shortstop Elvis Andrus (rest) are out of the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Seattle Mariners. It appears both veteran sluggers will get the day off as the season slowly closes out. Jurickson Profar will play third base and bat cleanup, while Hanser Alberto will bat ninth and play shortstop versus lefty Marco Gonzales. Profar is worth a look in fantasy, but Alberto can be avoided.
Elvis Andrus, Adrian Beltre Return to the Lineup on Tuesday
Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus and third baseman Adrian Beltre return to the starting lineup for Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Both players received a routine rest day on Monday, but are ready to on for this one. Andrus will play shortstop and bat second, while Beltre will bat cleanup and serve as the DH against righty Matt Shoemaker. Beltre has been on fire lately, so he's worth a look in DFS contests, but Andrus can likely be avoided.
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre (rest) and shortstop Elvis Andrus (rest) are out of the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Both veteran sluggers will get the night off against righty Felix Pena. Jurickson Profar will bat cleanup and play third base, while Hanser Alberto will play shortstop and bat ninth versus Pena. Profar is worth considering for DFS contests, while Alberto can be avoided.
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has had an extremely tough week at the plate. After starting September with a hot streak and starting to look like his old self, Beltre has cooled off massively. In his last seven games he has just a .154 batting average with zero home runs, three runs and no RBI. Unfortunately this season Beltre has struggled so much at the plate that he will enter next season with little fantasy value, if he chooses to play. His name value will still garner him some discussion but between his injuries and his struggles at the plate Beltre is now well outside the top-20 third basemen heading into 2019.
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is showing glimpses of his old self so far in September. In 33 plate appearances Beltre has five home runs with a .367 batting average. Entering this month Beltre had just seven home runs in this injury hit season, but his bat has finally seemed to come alive with the season drawing to a close. A strong finish to the season could see Beltre willing to return for one more year in 2019. If Beltre is available on waiver wires he is a hard hitter to ignore given how hot he has been over the first 10 days on September. In addition, the Rangers seem committed to getting Beltre in the lineup, be it at third base or as the designated hitter.
Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has returned to playing third base every other day. On the other days Beltre remains in the lineup but gets to start as the designated hitter, which allows him to rest the hamstrings which have caused him so much strife this season. Beltre is yet to decide whether to play again next season, but the Rangers are doing everything they can to get their veteran star third baseman to the end of the season. Given his recent injury woes, if he does decide to play, Beltre will have very little fantasy value in 2019.
There are no current or active trade discussions regarding Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre. The future Hall of Famer possesses a full no-trade clause and hasn't seemed anxious to leave. The 39-year-old remains relevant in most mixed leagues, but he's clearly starting to decline as he closes out his career, and he's already been on the disabled list multiple times in 2018 with hamstring issues. Beltre is batting .274/.332/.385 with seven homers and 46 RBI in 343 at-bats.
