Kritik und Lob » decision worked out quite well for the India

Free agent Carlos Beltran has agreed to a one-year deal worth $16 million with the Houston Astros, a source told ESPNs Buster Olney on Saturday.The deal also includes a full no-trade clause, according to the source.The move adds to a busy offseason for the Astros, who have boosted their lineup by trading for Yankees catcher Brian McCann?and signing free-agent outfielder Josh Reddick.Houston missed the playoffs this year after winning the AL wild card in 2015.The switch-hitting Beltran, who turns 40 in April, was the top player in the deadline-selling Yankees lackluster offense this past season before being traded to the?Texas Rangers?on Aug. 1 for?right-hander Dillon Tate and two other pitching prospects.He led the Yankees with a .304 batting average, 22 homers and 64 RBIs, and he finished the year with 29 homers, 93 RBIs and 163 hits. He?split his time as a designated hitter and right fielder.The nine-time All-Star signed a $45 million, three-year contract before the 2014 season but played with an elbow bone spur during much of his first season in New York and got off to a slow start in 2015 following surgery.Beltran was traded from Kansas City to Houston in June 2004, and he hit a record-tying eight homers in 12 games during the NL playoffs while batting .435 with 14 RBIs.He also was traded from the New York Mets to San Francisco in July 2011. While he has appeared in the playoffs with the Astros, Mets, Cardinals, Yankees and Rangers, Beltran remains in search of his first World Series title.Beltran has a .281 career average with 414 home runs.Led by middle infielders Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa and ace Dallas Keuchel, the Astros ended a decade-long playoff drought -- and reversed a four-year span in which they averaged well over 100 losses -- by winning the AL wild card in 2015. Expected to be a championship contender this year, Houston instead went 84-78 and missed the playoffs.The Astros have been busy since then, signing Reddick to a $52 million, four-year deal after he finished the season with the Dodgers and getting McCann, a seven-time All-Star, in a trade with the Yankees. The Astros got $11 million from the Yankees to help cover the $34 million total hes set to make in the next two seasons.Along with his production on the field, Beltran has long been praised for his clubhouse influence and leadership, especially among young teammates. Beltran also runs an academy back home in Puerto Rico, where students focus on academics as well as athletics.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kendall Gill Jersey . Duchene scored two goals and had an assist, helping the Colorado Avalanche beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Friday night to match the best 10-game start in team history. Terry Rozier Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. https://www.cheaphornets.com/865l-jalen-mcdaniels-jersey-hornets.html . Ibaka equaled a career high with 20 rebounds, adding four blocked shots and 15 points as the Thunder smothered the Milwaukee Bucks offence in a 92-79 victory Saturday night. Gerald Wallace Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Dell Curry Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. CHICAGO -- One more win and baseball fans everywhere might finally believe in these Cleveland Indians.Thats all it will take for Corey Kluber & Co. to clinch this World Series.Kluber pitched six sparkling innings on short rest for his second victory this week and the Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 Saturday night, taking a 3-1 lead and nearing their first championship since 1948.Jason Kipnis hit a three-run homer in his hometown and Carlos Santana connected for the first of his three hits as manager Terry Franconas team won for the second straight day at Wrigley Field.Trevor Bauer gets the ball Sunday night when the visiting Indians try for the franchises third World Series title against Jon Lester and the faltering Cubs.I think we like the position were in, but the task isnt done yet, Kluber said. We still have one more game to win, and were going to show up tomorrow and play with the same sense of urgency weve played with until this point. We dont want to let them build up any momentum and let them get back in the series.Still, not bad for a team that seemed like an underdog all year long.The Indians topped the defending champion Royals and star-studded Tigers for the AL Central title, then came the postseason. No one thought they would beat Big Papi and Boston, outslug Toronto or ever end their drought before the charmed Cubs, who led the majors with 103 wins.Well, look who is on the brink of hoisting the hardware.Weve got one more to get and its probably going to be the hardest victory of the year, but this is a special night for me and this team to take the first two here, said Kipnis, who grew up a Cubs fan on the north side of Chicago.Kipnis had three hits and scored two runs as Cleveland moved to 10-2 in this postseason. Francisco Lindor contributed an RBI single, helping Francona improve to 11-1 in the World Series.The Indians now will try to bring another crown to Cleveland, adding to the one LeBron James and the Cavaliers earned earlier this year.We have a ways to go. Were not done, Francona said.Dexter Fowler doubled and scored in the first for the Cubs, and then homered against Andrew Miller in the eighth. Fowlers drive to left-center was the first homer for Chicago in the World Series since Phil Cavaretta connected in Game 1 in 1945 and the first run allowed by Miller during his dominant postseason.In between Fowlers two hits, the Cubs came up empty every time they had a chance to put any pressure on Cleveland.So we made mistakes. Absolutely, we made mistakes tonight, manager Joe Maddon said. That was part of it. But then again, we just have to do more offensively to give ourselves a chance.The Indians won for the second straight day aat Wrigley -- those two wins matched the Cubs entire total of World Series victories in more than a century of playing at their famed ballpark.dddddddddddd.Theyre obviously doing something right, taking advantage of our mistakes and my mistakes, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant said.Pitching on three days rest for the second time, Kluber allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one. The steady, stoic right-hander, who struck out nine in a dominant performance in Game 1, improved to 4-1 with a 0.89 ERA in five playoff starts this year.Francona put Santana at first after starting him in left in Game 3, and Mike Napoli was out of the starting lineup for the time in the playoffs. And just like the rest of October, the decision worked out quite well for the Indians.Santana led off the second with a drive to right against John Lackey, tying it at 1. Santanas third homer of the playoffs silenced the crowd of 41,706, and the Indians seized the momentum from there.Two throwing errors on Bryant, including one on Klubers infield single, led to an unearned run that put Cleveland ahead to stay. Kipnis connected for his second playoff homer in the seventh, pointing to his friends and family in the stands after powering the Indians to a 7-1 lead.Were mortals. Were baseball players. Its what we live for, Kipnis said. At this kind of stage its what we all dream about.MORE ON KLUBERKlubers 0.89 ERA is the second-lowest for a single postseason for pitchers with at least 30 innings. Burt Hooton allowed three earned runs in 33 playoff innings for the 1981 Dodgers. Kluber is tied with Orel Hershiser (1995) for the Indians record for most strikeouts in a single postseason with 35.Just an unreal job by Kluber on three days rest, Lindor said.STEPPING UPCubs right fielder Jason Heyward made his first start of the World Series and responded with two hits. The 27-year-old Heyward, who signed a $184 million, eight-year contract with Chicago last winter, was just 2 for 31 in 12 playoff games coming into the night.UP NEXTIndians: Bauer lasted just 3 2/3 innings in Game 2, allowing two runs and six hits. The right-hander had a career-best 12 wins during the regular season, but is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in three playoff starts.Cubs: Lester dropped to 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA in four career World Series starts when he allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in the opener Tuesday night. The left-hander was the co-MVP of the NL Championship Series, going 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.---Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap ' ' '