Beltran expected to sign with the Yankees

According to multiple Major League executives that spoke with Joel Sherman of the NY Post, the Yankees are the strong favorites to land free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran.

As one executive put it, "I think at this point it would be an upset if he didn’t end up there."

The Yankees have made Beltran their No. 1 priority this winter after signing Brian McCann to a five-year, $85 million contract last weekend, and have seemed to be the favorites all along to sign the 36-year-old outfielder.

The only problem up to this point is that the Yankees are trying to sign Beltran on nothing more than a two-year deal.

"Beltran wants three years, so I think the Yankees will either go three years or give him a [bleep]-load more on a two-year deal." One AL official told Sherman. "I think the feeling in the industry is if it comes down to a two-year deal because no one goes to three, then the Yanks will win."

A new team has recently jumped into the bidding for Beltran, though, as the Kansas City Royals, who Beltran broke into the league with, are starting to show heavy interest.

As the AL official said, Kansas City "really, really wants him." but the AL official also noted to Sherman that "because of the history, it will be hard for them to sell themselves as championship contenders."

Where ever Beltran signs, it will likely be on the final deal of his career, and after making it to the World Series for the first time in his career this past October with the St. Louis Cardinals, he wants another chance to get a ring before his playing days are done.

The Royals have only finished above .500 twice since 1994, and they haven't made the playoffs since 1985 -- the longest playoff drought in the league. Kansas City believes that it will be able to contend for a playoff spot in 2014, but it will be hard to convince Beltran of that.

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