SURPRISE, Ariz. — Adrian Beltre and the Texas Rangers have reworked the final two seasons of the third baseman’s $96 million, six-year contract, eliminating the team’s conditional right to void his 2016 salary.
Beltre was due to be paid $18 million this year and $16 million in 2016, but the team had the ability to void 2016 if the four-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner didn’t have at least 586 plate appearances this season.
Under the amendment announced Monday, Beltre is guaranteed $16 million this year and $18 million in 2016.
"It was really a no-brainer for us," general manager Jon Daniels said. "He is one of the best players in the game, a team leader and a future Hall of Famer. We didn’t want it to be a story this season."
The 35-year-old made $17 million last season, when Beltre hit .324 with 19 homers and 77 RBIs.
Beltre is a .285 hitter over 2,424 games in a career that began with his debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in June 1998 when he was 19. He played with the Dodgers through 2004, then went to Seattle (2005-09) and Boston (2010) before signing with the Rangers.
"I’m comfortable here," Beltre said Sunday after reporting to camp. "The main focus for me for what I’ve got left is to win. If this team shows that they want to win, I don’t want to go anywhere else."
Texas is coming off an injury-plagued season with an AL-high 95 losses. But in the four years before that, the Rangers went to back-to-back World Series, made it to the AL wild-card game and lost a 163rd-game wild-card tiebreaker.
The sides did not change the provision that would allow the Rangers to defer $12 million of Beltre’s 2016 salary at 1 per cent interest if he ends this season on the disabled list and a mutually agreed on physician determines he will not be healthy by spring training 2016
