Yet another Dominican baseball player has landed an enviable contract, as Adrian Beltre, from the El Cafe sector of Santo Domingo, signed a US$64-million deal with the Seattle Mariners. The contract is a five-year deal and is only pending a physical examination of the Dominican slugger who led the National League in homeruns in the 2004 season.
Beltre was one of the most sought-after free agents in baseball, along with Puerto Rican star Carlos Beltran. Beltre, only 25, hit 48 homers, batted .334 and had 131 RBIs. He came in second in the voting for the Most Valuable Player of the Year award. Defensively, Beltre only committed 10 errors during the ’04 season.
Within 48 hours, Dominican baseball players have signed contracts for a collective total of US$117 million, including Pedro Martinez, who signed with the New York Mets on Tuesday for US$53 million.
One newspaper jokester said that “with a few more signings like this, the Dominican Republic can pay off the national debt.”