Beltran ends 20-year career, announces retirement

Outfielder Carlos Beltran announced his retirement after a 20-year major league career, going out on top by winning his first World Series championship with the Houston Astros.

The 40-year-old Beltran, a nine-time All-Star with 435 career home runs, made the announcement Monday with a first-person essay on The Players' Tribune.

"I am blessed to have played this game for 20 years," Beltran wrote. "I am blessed to have played for so many great organizations.

"I am blessed to have shared all of my experiences with my wife and my three kids, my family and friends. To have so many loving fans. To have been able to build a school in Puerto Rico and change the lives of so many kids. To have won the Roberto Clemente Award, which is the greatest honor I could have ever received as a ballplayer.

"And I am blessed to be a champion. But now, my time as a player has come to an end."

Beltran played for seven different teams, starting with the Kansas City Royals in 1998. He also played for the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants, before making a second stop in Houston for the 2017 season.

Beltran batted .231 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs in 129 games with Houston this season. The Astros signed him to be their primary designated hitter but as the season progressed, his playing time decreased.

For his career, Beltran batted .279 with 2,725 hits, 1,587 RBIs and 1,582 runs scored in 2,586 games.

Beltran told MLB.com he reached the decision to retire sometime over the summer during Houston's memorable run.

"At the beginning of this year, being in Houston while my family was in New York, it was the first time I've been away from my family for months," Beltran said in his first interview since announcing his retirement. "I told (my wife) Jessica I really missed the family and I wanted to be with them, so I was really contemplating retirement after this year. I said, 'Hopefully we can get to the World Series and win the World Series, so I can go home on a happy note.'

"When the family came to Houston for the summer, I told Jessica, 'This will be my last year for sure.' I couldn't be away from my family for such a long time anymore."

Rangers Acquire OF Carlos Beltran and Cash Considerations from New York Yankees In Exchange for Three Minor League Pitchers

The Texas Rangers today announced that the club has acquired outfielder Carlos Beltran and cash considerations in a trade with the New York Yankees in exchange for minor league right-handed pitchers Dillon Tate, Nick Green, and Erik Swanson. 

To make room on the major league roster for Beltran, the club has transferred first baseman/designated hitter Prince Fielder from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. The Rangers will make another move to accommodate Beltran on the active roster when he reports to the club.

Beltran, 39, has batted .304 with 22 home runs, 22 doubles, and 64 RBI in 99 games with the Yankees this season, his third year with New York-AL. The 2016 All-Star ranks among American League leaders in batting average (9th), slugging percentage (4th, .546), at-bats per home run (9th, 16.3) and at-bats per RBI (10th, 5.6). Since the beginning of June, the switch-hitter has compiled a .343/.389/.562/.950 slash line with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 49 games, ranking among the A.L.'s top 10 in each of the four percentage categories in that span. He has seen action in right field (58 games) and as designated hitter (34 games) with the Yankees, and is also 1-for-7 with a walk as a pinch-hitter.

Beltran has already reached his 12th career season with 20-or-more home runs, tied for 4th-most among active players. His 414 career home runs rank 6th among active players and are 4th-most all-time by a switch-hitter, trailing Mickey Mantle (536), Eddie Murray (504), and Chipper Jones (468). He was selected as an All-Star for a 9th time in 2016, and has won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award on 3 occasions and was twice on the Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Team. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1999 with Kansas City. He is one of 5 players in major league history with at least 7 different seasons of 20+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases.

Over 52 career postseason games, Beltran has batted .332 (61-184) with 16 home runs and 40 RBI. He ranks 9th in major league history in postseason home runs and his 45 runs in the playoff are 11th all-time. He has played 42 games at Globe Life Park in Arlington, batting .300 (51-170) with 9 home runs, 40 RBI, and a .902 OPS figure. With the addition of Beltran, the Rangers now have 2 of the top 6 on the active home run list (Adrian Beltre is 5th with 429 HR).

Tate has gone 3-3 with a 5.12 ERA (37 ER/65.0 IP) over 17 games/16 starts with Low-A Hickory. He was selected by the Rangers in the first round (4th overall) of the 2015 June draft and is in his second professional season. Green is 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA (19 ER/34.1 IP) in 7 starts with short-season Spokane, his third professional season. Swanson has gone 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA (31 ER/81.1 IP) and one save over 19 games/15 starts for Low-A Hickory in his third pro campaign.

Fielder was placed on the disabled list on July 20, retroactive to July 19, and had neck surgery to repair a herniation of his C4/C5 disc performed by Dr. Drew Dossett on Friday in Dallas. He is expected to miss the rest of the season.

With these transactions, the Rangers remain at the 40-man limit on the major league roster.