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Center fielder Carlos Beltran wears New York Mets jersey number 15.  A native of Puerto Rico, Beltran came up through the Kansas City Royals organization.  He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1999.  Although his sophomore year with the Royals was disappointing, he came back in 2001 and soon became a big star in a small market.   By 2003 and 2004, rumors circulated frequently that the Royals were planning to trade him. 

 And then his contract expired.  He became a free agent just as he was making headlines for his post-season slugging.

After being shopped by his agent, Scott Boras, Beltran signed a lucrative deal with the New York Mets.  His seven-year, $119 million deal is both lengthy and lucrative.  He has been quoted as saying, though, that he wouldn’t have signed without a no-trade clause.  The trade rumors of his time with the Royals, and the actual trade with the Astros, were experiences that he didn’t want to repeat.

A funny thing about the timing of the trade is that he was voted onto the All-Star Team when he played in the American League with the Kansas City Royals.  But he was traded in late June, before the All-Star Game took place, to a National League team.  At first it looked as though the trade would cost him a spot on the team, but when Ken Griffey, Jr., then with the Cincinnati Reds, was injured, Beltran was named as his replacement.  So he became baseball’s first (and so far only) player to be voted to the American League All-Stars and yet to play with the National League.

2004 was one of four times that he was on the All-Star Team.  Two of the other times have been during his time in a New York Mets jersey.  Beltran has also won the Gold Glove Award three times and the Silver Slugger Award twice, all with the Mets. 

Beltran has a reputation as a gentleman.  Not a star or flashy personality, but a courteous, even-tempered individual who will talk to the press and to fans courteously.