PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -Adrian Beltre and the Seattle Mariners aren’t exactly on the same page right now.
He wants to play for his native Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. The Mariners, more specifically Major League Baseball, don’t want him to.
Seattle is also rebuilding all around its Gold Glove third baseman following a 101-loss season. The team trimmed about $20 million off the payroll, choosing not to re-sign RBI and clubhouse leader Raul Ibanez, who signed a $31.5 million, three-year deal with Philadelphia.
The Mariners then traded away closer J.J. Putz to the New York Mets in the offseason.
“I understand why the front office got frustrated. Last year, you put that much money in your team and you lose that many games, you will probably be disappointed,” Beltre said upon arriving Monday, a day earlier than he had to.
t veteran you can have around young guys.
“That was a big disappointment for me, because he was the best teammate I’ve ever had – by far. … We were a better team, on paper, last year than this year.”
Another disappointment would be missing the WBC. Beltre was hoping to leave at the end of the month for that.
Beltre missed the final weeks of last season because he had surgery to repair his thumb and his non-throwing shoulder. The commissioner’s office and the players’ association, the joint organizers of the WBC, recently compiled a list of major leaguers who had offseason surgery and hadn’t yet returned to action – by playing winter ball, for example.
Organizers said that players on the list would not be eligible for the WBC because the cost of insuring them was too high. That’s why Mets ace Johan Santana isn’t playing for Venezuela in the tournament.
“I want to represent my country,” Beltre said before taking some extra batting practice. “I haven’t really proven to them that I can play. It’s going to be an interesting first week for me.”
Beltre’s $64 million, five-year contract ends after this season. When asked if this may be his last spring training with the Mariners, especially given their rebuilding mode, he said: “I don’t know.”
,” he said. “I can’t say this will be my last year here – unless they don’t want me here any more. That’s a different story. Obviously, you are going to keep your options open.
“I mean, I like Seattle.”
Above all, Beltre, who turns 30 in April, said he’s done with losing.
“I want to win. I want to be healthy first,” he said. “I’ve done a lot in my career, but I’m not young anymore.
“Going to the World Series is something I want to experience before I retire.”
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