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The Free Agent Market could be open for business as early as next Monday, and while it had appeared to be shaping up late in the regular season, it turns out that it was far from settled. 

Pricey contract extensions for Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum, as well as rumored $100 million asking prices for Shin-Shoo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, indicate that teams may have to ante up big dollars for the best players on the market.  

In addition, several free agents-to-be boosted their stock with strong playoff performances. Others hurt their value by showing that they might not be very good when the games are most important. 

Here’s a look at how the 2013 postseason has changed the playoff picture.

Jacoby Ellsbury: $100 million man

Despite missing nearly three weeks in September with a foot injury, Ellsbury had already done enough to ensure he’d enter the offseason as the top center fielder on the free agent market.

But a $100 million deal, as was suggested by his agent Scott Boras in an interview with CBS Sports last month, seemed steep considering he hadn’t shown the power that made him a finalist for the AL MVP award in 2011. Considering that a similar player, Michael Bourn, got four years and $48 million the previous offseason, a reasonable projection for the 30-year-old Ellsbury would be somewhere around five years and $70 million. 

This is no longer the case, though. Ellsbury, who has been the catalyst for the Sox during their World Series run with a .902 OPS, 17 hits, 11 runs and six stolen bases in 12 games, is doing everything in his power to increase his value.

Pence’s $90 million deal helps, but it’s Ellsbury’s playoff performance that might actually push him into the $100 million territory. 

Carlos Beltran putting injury concerns to rest

Including the playoffs, Beltran has averaged 154 games per season since 2011, his ages 34-36 seasons. After leaving Game 1 of the World Series after robbing a homer with a rib injury, he was back in the lineup for Game 2. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI single to add on to one of the most impressive postseason resume’s of all-time. 

The knee troubles that caused him to miss most of the 2009-2010 seasons appear to be a thing of the past, and he’ll be paid accordingly. It’s his talent on the field that could net him as much as $20 million per season this offseason. It’s his ability to stay on the field—even this late in the season—that will give at least one team enough confidence to give him a three-year deal.

Clutch hitting will overshadow Mike Napoli’s hip condition

There’s no doubt that the degenerative hip condition that caused the Red Sox to pull a three-year, $39 million deal off the table last winter is going to be an issue for Napoli again. But the fact that he started 131 games at first base—his first year as a regular first baseman—and put up impressive numbers during the regular season (.842 OPS, 23 HR, 92 RBI) will make it much less of an issue. 

And if there was still any doubt, consider that the 31-year-old has had several big hits in the postseason, including a game-winning homer against Justin Verlander in the ALCS and a three-run double to open the scoring in the World Series, and he has not been hindered one bit by his hip condition.

The question is no longer whether he’ll get a multi-year deal or not. It’s whether he’ll get two or three years.

Add Brian Wilson to the list of top free agent closers

The former Giants closer didn’t even get a save opportunity during his two-month stint with the Dodgers. But by the playoffs, it was clear that Wilson had returned to form after missing all of 2012 and most of 2013 recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

After allowing just one earned run in 13.2 innings over 18 regular season appearances, the 31-year-old was even better in the postseason. As the primary setup man to closer Kenley Jansen, Wilson pitched six shutout innings with two walks, eight strikeouts, a win and two holds. 

Those might be the last “holds” he records for a couple of seasons. He should land a closer’s gig this winter.

“Left Fielder” Jhonny Peralta near the top of the shortstop and third base markets

Peralta returned from a 50-game P.E.D. suspension late in the season to find he had lost his starting shortstop job to defensive whiz Jose Iglesias. The Tigers needed his bat in the lineup, however, so they got creative. 

For the first time in his professional career, the 31-year-old played in the outfield. He also went 11-for-33 in the playoffs with three doubles and a homer. Does it mean he’ll be recruited as a starting outfielder this offseason? Probably not. But that’s only because several teams will be trying to sign him to be their shortstop or third baseman. 

It’s not exactly the deepest market for those positions, which is why Peralta’s suspension will have limited impact on his value. 

Juan Uribe will be a starting third baseman in 2014

The Dodgers gave Uribe a three-year, $21 million deal after a 2010 season in which he posted a .749 OPS with 24 homers for the Giants. But it’s extremely likely that he may have earned himself that third year or a few more million dollars after some clutch hitting in the playoffs. 

Uribe hit a game-winning homer in the deciding NLCS Game 6 win over the Phillies. He also hit a big three-run homer in Game 1 of the World Series. He didn’t do much else, but his impact was clear in front of a national audience. 

Fast-forward to 2013, and Uribe is coming off of a season in which he posted a .769 OPS with 12 homers and has been named a finalist for the Gold Glove award for third basemen. He came up big again in the playoffs, including another game-winning homer in the deciding game of a series. 

Regardless of how bad he was in 2011-2012 (.552 OPS), Uribe shouldn’t have a hard time finding a starting job in what is a very weak market for third basemen. 

Where have you gone, Edward Mujica? 

A 29-year-old All-Star closer who is coming off of a season in which he saved 37 games, posted a 2.78 ERA and walked only five batters in 64.2 innings should be extremely popular this winter, right? Not so much with Mujica. 

If his own team doesn’t have enough faith to use him in anything more than mop-up duty during the playoffs, why would teams interested in a closer look to Mujica ahead of Wilson, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Joe Nathan or Fernando Rodney? 

It’s his own doing after a terrible September (7.1 IP, 9 ER, 18 H), but Mujica’s value has took a tremendous hit in a short amount of time, and the Cardinals aren’t helping by not letting him pitch this postseason.

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With Major League Baseball’s 8-team and now 10-team playoff format, it’s actually become somewhat rare to see teams with the best regular season records reach the World Series. Fans of the 97-win St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox certainly aren’t complaining.

Both teams found a way to fend off opponents and reach the 2013 World Series, which will be a rematch of the 2004 Fall Classic. This time around the series will be decided by four names: David Ortiz, Koji Uehara, Allen Craig and Carlos Beltran. 

The clutch-performing role of David Ortiz hasn’t changed one iota since 2004. To take home the hardware, Ortiz will have to do more than his 2-for-22 line in the ALCS. Ortiz will be playing defense from the dugout as usual in Game 1 at Fenway, but the real challenge comes when the Sox travel to St. Louis. Ortiz will likely play first base.

Ortiz is an adequate first baseman, “I’ve seen Big Papi play a lot,” said Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes, via Danny Knobler, Baseball Insider for CBSSports.com “I mean, the guy can play first base. If you ask me, you can go #goldglove for Napoli, but Ortiz isn’t bad there.”

The main downfall is that the Red Sox will then have to pull Mike Napoli out of the lineup. Limiting his plate appearances, possibly disrupting his rhythm and removing protection in the batting order for Ortiz. Napoli has been a primary source of offense for the Red Sox hitting .300 with a pair of doubles and home runs in the ALCS.

Sitting Napoli is a hefty price to pay and that makes the production of Ortiz that much more important to the series. Farrell has left the door open saying Ortiz will get time over Napoli at first base, but not revealing the number of games he’ll start according to Alex Speier of WEEI 93.7.

Ortiz and his clutch hitting have been a constant for the Red Sox since 2004, but the role of clutch pitching has seen many names. The latest of said names is ALCS MVP Koji Uehara. The 38-year-old Uehara isn’t the typical overly animated gas-throwing closer, but he gets the job done with a fastball that sits around 90 mph.

To beat the Cardinals and the clutch hitting they always seem to find, Uehara will have to be the shutdown closer he was against Detroit. In the closer role one lapse or one bad pitch can lose a game making it a crucial position.

Uehara’s deception and control should continue to work in his favor. The Red Sox players certainly aren’t worried about Uehara, “Well, ‘invincible’ is not a word we use because we don’t ever like to take things for granted in this game, but you’ve got a lot of confidence in Koji, that’s for sure,” Red Sox Catcher David Ross said via Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. “As a catcher, you’re just trying to get to the end of the game, and with a guy like that, you realize, if I can just get through the eighth with a lead, we’ve got it.”

One of the clutch hitters Uehara may have to face is Allen Craig, who sustained a foot injury on Sept. 4th. Before the injury Craig was the Cardinals’ primary clean-up hitter and he racked up a solid .315 AVG / 13 HR / 97 RBI line.  

Craig will likely be the DH in Boston and coming off the bench in St. Louis according to Anthony McCarron of New York Daily News. Craig does, however, boast a .454 clip with runners in scoring position. Production like that is sure to be a series changer. Luckily, Craig will have two games to prove his worth in Boston before moving back to St. Louis.

While Craig’s clutch regular season hitting and valiant return to the lineup earn him a mention Carlos Beltran needs no such validation. Beltran is in the debate as the greatest postseason hitter ever. A great performance in his first World Series would certainly help solidify that claim and fuel the existing conversation. Here’s what some analysts are already discussing:

To win a ring this year, Beltran will have to continue his clutch postseason hitting.

Thus far, Beltran has provided 12 RBI’s for the Cardinals, who have 42 runs in the 2013 postseason. For the Cardinals to be successful Beltran will have to continue receiving high fives after RBIs as he’s doing in the picture below.

If the Cardinals continue to rely on Beltran for over a quarter of their offense he’ll have to produce in a big way. The switch hitting Beltran may have a tough time in the series with Jon Lester taking the hill as the Red Sox starter.

Beltran was a much better hitter from the left side (.315 AVG / .509 SLG / .871 OPS) than from the right side (.252 AVG / .448 SLG / .729 OPS). Lefties Lester and Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow will likely force Beltran to take a good portion of his cuts from the right side.

 Beltran is, however 4-for-13 from the right side this postseason, but that’s a pretty small sample. Plus, both of his home runs have come hitting left-handed. No matter which side Beltran is taking his hacks from he will have to continue to be a primary source of offense for the Cardinals to revenge their 2004 World Series defeat.

One way or another these four players will decide how this series will be won. Will it be decided by brilliant pitching and a few clutch hits? Will both teams find their offense? Who will gain the edge? It all remains to be seen, but one way or another these four players are at the heart of which way the series goes.

Each of these four players will likely be at the crux of their teams victory or failure. Newcomers like Xander Bogaerts and Matt Adams might be the heroes. Or pitching performances from Michael Wacha or Jon Lester might steal the headlines. Ortiz, Uehara, Craig and Beltran are necessary pieces to their respective teams, will have opportunities to perform in the clutch and will be the deciding factors in the outcome of the 2013 World Series.

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The MLB playoffs are heating up with some incredible games going down in both the ALCS and the NLCS, and as things move closer and closer to the 2013 MLB World Series, one thing will be on the mind of baseball fans everywhere, especially fans whose teams have been eliminated: free agency. 

Here is a quick look at some of the best bats coming onto the free agency market this offseason.

Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals

Carlos Beltran has had a huge season. He batted an impressive .296 with 24 homeruns and 84 RBI and has been a major part of the Cardinals’ playoff run. He’s now reaching the end of his two-year, $26 million deal which means that the 36-year-old beast has a choice to make: stay in St. Louis or test the waters and find another contender to lead to the promised land. 

Beltran is one of the best offensive weapons in the major leagues, bringing over 80 runners home in each of his last three seasons, and given his age, he would be a great addition to any American League team in need of a big bat to bolster their lineup at the designated hitter position. 

According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, there have been rumors floating around the city of the former Met heading to the Bronx and donning Yankee pinstripes. 

Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers

Nelson Cruz, like Beltran, is one of the best batters in the MLB, and also like Beltran, he’ll be able to test free agency during the offseason. But Cruz has something against him that Beltran doesn’t have to worry about: a PED suspension.

Cruz was suspended for 50 games this season, but even with the suspension, he batted .266, hit 27 homeruns and brought 76 runners across the plate for the Rangers. Cruz has had over 70 RBI every season since 2009 and is one of the most consistent run-producers in the major leagues. 

Any team that needs to add a little pop in their lineup would be smart to pursue Cruz for his on-field production, but it’ll be interesting to see how teams approach him after his PED suspension in 2013. 

Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

Robinson Cano has been one of the most consistent Yankees over the last few years, putting up 27 homeruns and 107 RBI while batting .314 this season alone. Cano has been a Yankee since 2005, but now, according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, Cano is demanding big money for his elite skills at second base and ridiculous production at the plate.

Because Cano will be demanding beau-coups bucks, the Yanks have a very tough decision during the offseason. Do they re-sign this life-long Yankee and lose a bunch of extra money in the process, or do they look for a way to fill his shoes, either at second base or at home plate?

We’ll get the answer in a few months, as Cano and the Yankees both have the opportunity to explore all of the various options out there in free agency. 

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According to Mark Feinsand of The New York Daily News, there is mutual interest between impending free agent Carlos Beltran and the New York Yankees.

As Yankees general manager Brian Cashman puts together a plan for the upcoming offseason, replacing Curtis Granderson with Carlos Beltran should be a starting point to improve a Yankees offense that was uncharacteristically below-average in 2013.

Due to a swell of injuries to everyday players and losses of key contributors from the 2012 team, New York ranked just 26th in baseball in team OPS (.683) and posted their lowest season run total (650) since 1990. 

Clearly, reinforcements are needed to boost the team closer to postseason contention in 2014. As the decision-makers in New York’s front office put a plan into action, Beltran’s name and bat should be part of it in lieu of retaining Curtis Granderson.

Although Granderson is the younger player (32 compared to 36), he’s not more productive. When assessing the last four seasons for each player (coinciding with Granderson’s arrival in New York and overlapping Beltran’s departure from the crosstown Mets), a clear picture comes into focus: Beltran is a better offensive performer when taking into account his ability to get on base and adjusting power numbers based on park effects.

The following chart places Beltran and Granderson side-by-side since 2010. As you can tell by the numbers, Granderson’s only true advantage lies in the home run column. Yet, with the short right-field porch in Yankee Stadium, his numbers were inflated in New York. Giving the switch-hitting Beltran 81 games to shoot for that same mark would likely level out Granderson’s lone advantage. 

Beltran is the better pure hitter and reaches base far more often. Despite Granderson’s 30 home run advantage, both OPS+ and wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) favor Beltran. Those numbers, to put it simply, measure the impact of each hitter by factoring in league and park effects. During some of the time in question, Beltran played home games at Citi Field in New York and AT&T Park in San Francisco, both known to be difficult on hitters. Meanwhile, Granderson was playing in Yankee Stadium.

Despite a raw OPS of just 19 points better (.849-.830), Beltran’s OPS+ was 13-percent greater (133-120) than Granderson’s. Similarly, Beltran’s wRC+, measuring how many runs a player creates (with 100 being an average offensive performer) was quite higher (133-122) for the current St. Louis Cardinals star.

Outside of the numbers, two variables of Beltran’s and Granderson’s respective careers stand out when making a determination of which player would be better for New York in 2014 and beyond: position and versatility.

If Granderson was still considered a center fielder by the Yankees, something Beltran hasn’t been for years, he would clearly rate higher on any priority list. Center fielders with 30-plus home run power are very, very hard to find. In fact, over the last decade only 16 center fielders have posted a 30-plus home run season. 

The only two to do it more than twice: Curtis Granderson and Carlos Beltran. 

Heading into 2014, both players must be evaluated as corner outfielders, not elite power-hitting center fielders.

Outside of leveling the playing field on defense, Beltran’s ability to switch-hit makes him a much, much more attractive fit for the New York offense. Of the many problems for the 2013 New York Yankees, there was a noticeable lack of matchup nightmares throughout their lineup.

Since the mid-’90s, the Yankees lineup has notoriously been difficult to pitch against due to hitters’ patience and the Yankees’ ability to employ switch-hitters to cause puzzles for late-game bullpen management. From Bernie Williams to Jorge Posada to Chili Davis to Tim Raines, the Yankees’ starting lineup and bench seemed to always be littered with hitters with the ability to leave opposing managers in a bind.

As late as 2009, during New York’s last World Series season, that strategy was still very much a part of their arsenal. Between Mark Teixeira, Jorge Posada, Melky Cabrera and Nick Swisher, switch-hitters made 2,292 plate appearances for the 2009 Yankees. In 2013, that number wilted to 176. The switch-hitter who led New York in plate appearances this season: Zoilo Almonte.

For his career, Beltran is a .289/.355/.523 hitter against right-handed pitching. Meanwhile, Granderson, has hit .226/.295/.409 in lefty vs. lefty duels. Simply swapping Beltran for Granderson when the opposition starts a left-handed pitcher would be the equivalent of replacing David Wright (.888 career OPS) with Juan Pierre (.704 career OPS). The difference is stark.

The end result between Carlos Beltran and Curtis Granderson, when looking at only some numbers, isn’t huge, but when factoring in park effects, current position status and versatility, a clear picture forms: Beltran’s arrival in New York would enhance the Yankees’ offense more than Granderson.  

Additionally, the specter of Beltran’s postseason greatness can be added to the equation, but New York first needs to focus on getting back to October before worrying about how their players will perform there.

There’s little doubt, unless you’re talking to a Mets fan holding a 2006 NLCS grudge, about Beltran’s ability to perform on the big stage. But it’s his ability to help the Yankees’ offense get there that makes him a better fit than Granderson. 

Time will tell if the Yankees pursue Beltran, let Granderson walk or offer their current player the $14.1 million qualifying offer (with the ability to trade him on that one-year deal). 

The objective of any offseason is to enhance the product on the field for the upcoming campaign. Swapping Carlos Beltran for Curtis Granderson would do just that for the New York Yankees.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted.

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Yasiel Puig strong play and youthful exuberance helped the Los Angeles Dodgers turn their season around, but sometimes his antics can rub opposing teams the wrong way. 

St. Louis Cardinals veteran Carlos Beltran, who has more than 2,000 games under his belt, didn’t approve of Puig celebrating what he thought might be a home run during Game 3 of the NLCS.

ESPN.com passed along comments from Beltran, who said Puig simply doesn’t know how to act at this point in his promising career:

As a player, I just think he doesn’t know [about how to act]. That’s what I think. He really doesn’t know. He must think that he’s still playing somewhere else.

He has a lot of passion, no doubt about that—great ability, great talent. I think with time, he’ll learn that you’ve got to act with a little bit more calm.

Puig’s shot didn’t get out of the park, but the Dodgers’ spark plug turned it into an RBI triple in the team’s 3-0 victory, which narrowed St. Louis’ series lead to 2-1.

Even though Los Angeles pulled out the win, Beltran said that is the type of moment that can give the other team added motivation. The eight-time All-Star believes Puig has to learn those finer points of the game over time. He continued:

When you try to do those things sometimes, you know, you get that attention. And you don’t want to wake up nobody. I always thought if you hit a home run off a pitcher, you’ve got to make him believe he made a mistake. You don’t wake him up. Or next time, the pitcher’s going to be more focused with you and he’s going to try harder to get you out.

So he will learn. I don’t think he’s a bad kid. I just think he doesn’t know right now.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale provides Don Mattingly’s take on the Cardinals’ comments:

In reality, baseball could use more exciting stars like Puig to increase its popularity on a national scale. But it’s a sport with a lot of unwritten rules, and doing anything that appears to show up the opponent is near the top of the forbidden list.

The Cardinals are a team with a lot of battle-tested players who have gone through numerous playoff runs. They play a very strong traditional game with remarkable consistency, which is why they seem to contend every year.

On the flip side, the Dodgers are more of a new-age club. The front office spent a lot of money to put the team together, and now it’s championship or bust. Puig’s style of play has helped them reach this point, and they don’t want him to lose that edge.

In the ESPN.com report, Jerry Hairston Jr. defended the Cuban phenom, saying he doesn’t mean any disrespect to opponents with his actions.

I know, with his exuberance, sometimes the opposing team might not like it. But they’ve just got to understand, he doesn’t mean anything by it. He just wants to do well.

I totally understand the opposite side and their view of it. But what I would say to them is, you’ve got to remember, this guy is like a 16-year-old kid playing Little League. He’s just so passionate, so emotional about the game. He really means no disrespect. He really means no harm. He just got excited tonight. He got a really big hit for us.

Ultimately, the back-and-forth debate about Puig just adds another layer of intrigue to an already tense series. The Dodgers needed a win in the worst way heading into Game 3, and they got it, setting up an extended battle for the NL crown.

The Cardinals might not like how Puig celebrates, but the only way to prevent it is getting him out consistently, like they did in the first two games.

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Carlos Beltran was the center of the story in last night’s 13-inning NLCS Game 1 between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers.  He drove in all three of St. Louis’ runs.  He provided the postseason heroics that fans have come to expect from him.  In the 10th inning, Beltran made the defensive play of the night, calling off Jon Jay on a fly ball and throwing out Dodgers’ second baseman Mark Ellis at the plate.

The play was set up by strange managerial decisions on both sides of the field.  For Don Mattingly, his decision to send Dee Gordon to pinch run for Adrian Gonzalez in the 8th inning led to Michael Young being the hitter at the plate with runners on first and third and one out in the 10th.  Mike Matheny would counter that move with the decision to leave his closer, Trevor Rosenthal, in the game for a second inning to try and keep the game tied.

The result was one of the most exciting moments of this year’s postseason thus far.  Young lifted a fly ball to right field, Ellis tagged from third to try to score and Beltran executed a flawless throw to the plate.

Many across the internet immediately began to question the call at the plate, wondering if catcher Yadier Molina actually tagged Ellis or just blocked the base path causing the collision.  It led Alyson Footer of MLB.com to ask Ellis about it directly after the game:

“It was pretty obvious I got tagged out,” said Ellis, who hit a one-out triple before the play. “There was a collision at home plate. They’re going to call you out every time. You run into it, you’re out. That’s how they’re going to call it.”

Obviously, a tag must be made to record the out.  Equally obvious is that a runner is not going to get a call in his favor when the ball beats him by a significant amount of time and he collides with the defender.  Expecting an umpire to determine if the tag was truly made during that amount of body contact is absurd.

That being said, I agreed with the many fans that pointed out the missing tag.  Watching the play from various angles—and even in real time—it did not appear that Molina tagged Ellis, and the Cardinals caught a bit of a break in a very important situation.

The important view is the one from the first base side, where the viewer can have a clear view of the glove of Molina and the contact with Ellis.  The Facebook page for fan site STL Cardinal Baseball pointed out the point of contact very clearly early this morning:

To #Dodgers fans and everyone else still questioning, this is what a tag looks like in baseball. He was out. #STLCards

It appears that next season will see the arrival of Instant Replay and the ability to review plays of this nature.  The impact on the game will surely be significant.  Plays that have become a routine call will now have to be executed in a more deliberate way.  The outcome of games may be impacted greatly in the future.

This was not one of those games.  The tag was made.  Game 1 of the NLCS belongs to the Cardinals.

More specifically, it belongs to Carlos Beltran.

The above referenced Facebook page and the subsequent website that it represents is a fan site and bears no official connection to the St. Louis Cardinals or Major League Baseball.

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It’s often difficult to forecast X-factors for playoff series, largely because the unsung hero is so prevalent on the grandest of stages. 

However, it’s often reasonable to take a look at the information from the regular season and make predictions for just that based on what we know about each team still in contention. 

We’re down to four teams in the 2013 MLB playoffs, and the St. Louis Cardinals took steps toward more October glory with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series Friday night. 

The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox will do battle on Saturday, and before that happens, now is a great time to look at the current postseason landscape with respect to how things might end. 

It’s also a good time to look at X-factors for the two remaining league series, which we will do below. 

*2013 MLB playoff bracket can be found at MLB.com. Watch postseason baseball live on TBS.com or your mobile device.

Remaining 2013 MLB Postseason Schedule, Listings

Big Papi might be pushing 40, but his postseason experience and thunder-producing swing are key for the Red Sox to return to World Series glory.

In fact, you might say Ortiz is the biggest key for Boston in a season in which things have been clicking on all cylinders for the majority of the year. 

As noted by this MLB tweet, Ortiz can still hit with the best of them:

Sports Illustrated‘s Twitter account wasn’t shy in proclaiming that Papi is hitting like he is in his prime:

With a lineup that can go boom at virtually any moment, Ortiz is still the man who will be counted on to drive in runs and provide clutch hits for the AL contenders. Facing a Detroit Tigers pitching staff, he’ll have no luxury of seeing meat in the ALCS. 

Luckily, he’s been in big spots before. Other Red Sox have too, but Papi is still around for a reason. We’ll see what he has left in the tank against Detroit. 

Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals

It’s getting redundant, but man Carlos Beltran loves the postseason.

The 36-year-old do-it-all outfielder now has 34 RBI in 40 career postseason games, and was the hero again on Friday night as his single in the bottom of the 13th gave St. Louis a 3-2 victory over Los Angeles in Game 1 of the NLCS. 

It’s hard to believe he’d never had a walk-off before in the postseason, but he does now:

As noted by Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, clutch is the word that most comes to mind when talking about Beltran:

Both teams in the NLCS are loaded with talent. We could have just as easily listed Matt Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina or one of the rookie pitchers for St. Louis, and Los Angeles’ X-factors include Yasiel Puig, Clayton Kershaw and Andre Ethier.

But Beltran reminded us again in Game 1 why the Cardinals are so dangerous. He accounted for their entire offense, and picked the team up on a night where a loss wouldn’t have been a surprise.

It doesn’t get any more X-factor than that.

Follow B/R’s Ethan Grant on Twitter. 

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Already a borderline Hall of Famer based on his regular-season performance, Carlos Beltran has made a habit out of flipping the switch from formidable to unstoppable in the playoffs.

This October has been no exception. The veteran switch-hitter followed a productive NLDS by carrying the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. His contributions included a clutch throw to home plate in the 10th inning and a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 13th.

Although Beltran is making a tremendous impact in 2013, history has taught us that his individual dominance doesn’t guarantee a trip to the World Series.

See for yourself in the table below. 

St. Louis was an offensive juggernaut this past summer, leading the Senior Circuit in on-base percentage and runs scored. That’s because Matt Carpenter, Matt Holliday and Allen Craig, among others, complemented Beltran’s power hitting with elite production of their own.

However, Carpenter has totaled only two hits through the first six postseason games (.087 BA) after an All-Star-caliber year atop the lineup. Holliday is being way too aggressive, as evidenced by his one walk in 25 plate appearances. Craig continues to rehab from a foot injury, but he still hasn’t started running. He won’t be a factor unless the Cardinals advance to the Fall Classic.

Meanwhile, Beltran has single-handedly driven in nine of his team’s 24 playoff runs, including all three on Friday night.

The Los Angeles Dodgers send Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-jin Ryu to the mound in Games 2 and 3, respectively. Those lefties will force Beltran to swing from the right side, and he posted an underwhelming .252/.281/.448 batting line under those circumstances this season.

Even assuming that he elevates the quality of his play under the bright lights, it’s unrealistic to expect the 36-year-old to maintain a superhuman pace against them.

Above all, the Cardinals’ chances of clinching the NL pennant hinge upon their pitching staff overcoming its inexperience. Half of Mike Matheny’s arms are rookies, and bullpen veterans like John Axford and Edward Mujica haven’t been particularly trustworthy lately.

In 2004, 2006 and 2012, Beltran was sent packing following losses in Game 7. For that to change, Adam Wainwright will need to live up to his rotation-leader reputation if that scenario presents itself this time around.

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The Texas Rangers (42-32) defeated the St. Louis Cardinals (47-37) 6-4 at Busch Stadium on Friday night.

Neal Cotts (4-1) earned the win in relief, Trevor Rosenthal (1-1) suffered his first loss and Joe Nathan tallied his 23rd save of the season.

Nelson Cruz led the way with three RBI and Derek Holland recovered from a rough start to throw seven innings and receive a no-decision.

Holland gave up four runs on four hits in the first two innings, but would settle down and retire the final 12 hitters he faced. He walked three and struck out four in a strong finish. He also went 0-for-2 at the plate with a walk and a run scored.

Tyler Lyons started for the Cardinals but only lasted 1.2 innings giving up four runs on three hits with three walks. Lyons is now winless in his last four starts. The Cardinals have the best record in baseball, but are just 5-5 in their last 10.

Allen Craig added a two-run double to increase his season total to 57 RBI. Carlos Beltran earned his 46th RBI in the first inning, but flew out to the wall in left-center field to end the game.

This was the Rangers’ first regular season trip to Busch Stadium and the first since Game 7 of the 2011 World Series.

The Rangers lost games six and seven in Busch Stadium en route to their second consecutive World Series loss. It was the Cardinals’ 11th World Series title.

Saturday’s Game 2 is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. and features Martin Perez (0-1) against Shelby Miller (8-4).

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Once the Cardinals finish up their West Coast swing through Arizona and San Francisco, they’ll find themselves smack-dab in the middle of a duel against their fiercest competition for the NL Central crown, the Cincinnati Reds.

Over the last few seasons, this has developed into a bitter rivalry.  David Schoenfield of ESPN said in 2011 the Cardinals and Reds has become the best rivalry in baseball.  

There have been some tense and exciting moments over the last few seasons between these two teams. From Brandon Philips igniting the fire with his inflammatory remarks over Twitter a few years back to the infamous brawl that ended backup catcher Jason LaRue’s career, this rivalry has taken on a life of its own.

Now fast-forwarding to 2013, the NL Central race will most likely come down to the Reds and the Cardinals.  

The Cardinals have not started off the 2013 campaign the way they had hoped.  Ace Adam Wainwright did not pitch well on Opening Night in Arizona and the Cardinals fell, 6-2, to the Diamondbacks.  

After playing well in game two of the series and taking down the D-Backs 6-1, the bullpen killed the Cardinals in game three, blowing four leads before losing in 16 innings, 10-9.

On Friday, the Cardinals’ left their bats in Arizona and were blanked by the Giants, 1-0.

The Reds, on the other hand, have started out the season well. They have posted a 3-1 record and taken two-of-three from the offensive juggernaut known as the Los Angeles Angels, to go along with thrashing the Nationals in their series opener, 15-0.

Last season the Cardinals held a slight advantage against the Reds with an 8-7 record. This season, the Cardinals will need to improve upon that record if they want to win the NL Central. They will need to create separation from the Reds by winning the head-to-head competition.

Game 1 Pitching Matchup

The first game of the series features Jaime Garcia against Mat Latos.  Garcia pitched very well against the Diamondbacks in his first start this season.  As he starts the home opener for the Cardinals, fans should know that Garcia has a 8-2 record in his career against the Reds in 11 career starts.

Latos will have to face his demons in Busch Stadium.  He is 1-3 there with a 13.50 ERA  Hopefully for Cardinal fans, that trend will keep up.  

Game 2 Pitching Matchup

In Game 2 of the series, the Cardinals will send Lance Lynn out to face Bronson Arroyo.  Lynn hasn’t seemed to overcome his postseason demons from last season.  He only lasted four innings in his season debut and gave up four runs, walking three and serving up a home run.  

Arroyo has made 31 career starts against the Cardinals and posted an 8-13 record with a 4.56 ERA. In 2012, he was 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA when pitching against the Cardinals.  

Game 3 Pitching Matchup

Jake Westbrook will lead the Cardinals into the final game of the first 2013 series against the Reds. He’ll be opposed by Homer Bailey.

Westbrook owns a 3-2 record agains the Reds in his career in nine starts.

Bailey hasn’t pitched very well against the Cardinals in his career.  He has a 3-7 record with a 5.00 ERA in 13 career starts.  That said, Bailey shut down the Nationals’ lineup in a 15-0 shellacking on Friday night.  He allowed two hits and no runs in six innings of work.

Predictions:

Game 1: With the Reds hitting the ball like they have a vendetta against it, it will be tough for Garcia to keep them in check.  

However, he is quite capable of doing so and with the Cardinals’ success against Mat Latos, game one should go to the Cardinals.

Game 2: I don’t have much faith that Lance Lynn will get out of the fourth inning against the Reds’ prolific offense.  He hasn’t had much luck in 2013 between spring training and his first start of the season.  

If the Cardinals’ offense doesn’t show up against Bronson Arroyo, it could be a long day for the Cardinals and their bullpen.  Game two goes to the Reds.

Game 3: If Jake Westbrook can get his sinker to do what it is capable of and the Cardinals can get to Homer Bailey early, it could be a good day for the Redbirds.  

With the way Todd Frazier (.471 batting average, three home runs at time of writing) and the Reds’ bats have come out of the gate, it will be a tough assignment for Westbrook. 

This one will be a tossup.  Whichever club strikes early will probably get the win.  Neither Westbrook nor Bailey are prone to make it past the sixth inning, so it will come down to the bullpens.  Both clubs are expecting their bullpens to be a strength this season, and this will be an early test.  

With the history that has been built over the last few seasons between these clubs and the lack of love for one another, it should be a great series to watch.  

Hopefully there will be some fireworks to set the tone for the rest of the season when these two clubs hook up down the road.

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