Hey, Look! It's a Beltran-to-Phillies Spumor!

There are two kinds of rumors in this world. There are rumors that are based on hearsay. And then there are the less credible rumors, rumors that aren’t actually rumors, but merely ideas floated around by reporters because hey, it’s a slow news day and we all need something to do. I enjoy rumors like these because they have no root in actual information, and yet these days they are given just as much credence as any actual rumors out there, usually after going through the meat grinder of Twitter and Facebook. There’s no good name for this kind of rumor, so let’s dub it a spumor, a delightful hybrid of rumor and speculation.

And that’s what Daily News writer Andy Martino tossed out today when he openly pondered the idea of Carlos Beltran to the Phillies:

This is not a report. This is us having fun. Speculation. Innuendo. But wouldn't Carlos Beltran be a nice fit for the Phillies this year?

A source with knowledge of the non-situation said that Amaro and Alderson had not (yet?) talked about Beltran, whose salary this year is $18.5 million.

I love the “yet?” in parentheses there, as if it only a matter of time before Ruben Amaro reads Martino’s spumor and cries out, “BELTRAN! HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO BLIND?!” Keep in mind that there were reports earlier this week that the Phillies were dangerously close to the luxury tax threshold, and had little interest in increasing payroll, particularly $18.5 freakin’ million of it.

There’s also the matter of Beltran being, you know, not anywhere good enough anymore to justify that insane salary. Beltran hasn’t played a full season in three years and the Mets are probably looking to trade him to a team that’s willing to absorb his massive salary (given their current financial crises). I doubt Amaro will do the Mets a favor and give away a prospect in that kind of deal.

This Beltran spumor is part of a continuing line of spumors involving the Phillies trying to acquire a new right fielder to make themselves an even more perfect team than they already are. But I think Amaro isn’t quite so hellbent on filling that void. I think he knows the team is already very good, and would rather stick with what he has than make some crippling mistake at the trade deadline that ends up backfiring. Then again, "oh former-all star, you're so pretty!"

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