HOUSTON, TX - The Houston Astros have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The announcement was made by Astros General Manager Jeff Luhnow.
Beltran, 39, is a 19-year Major League veteran and nine-time All-Star, including a 2016 All-Star campaign that he split between New York (AL) and Texas. In 151 games with the Yankees (99g) and Rangers (52g) last season, he hit .295 (163x552) with 33 doubles, 29 home runs and 93 RBI with a .513 slugging percentage and an .850 OPS. The three-time Gold Glove outfielder (2006-08) started 67 games in right field, while starting 73 games at DH. The switch-hitter excelled against both right and left-handed pitchers in 2016, posting a .970 OPS vs. lefties and an .805 OPS vs. righties.
This will be Beltran's second stint with the Astros, as he played 90 games for the club after he was acquired in a midseason trade in 2004. Beltran helped lead the Astros to a postseason berth in 2004 after hitting 23 homers, posting a .926 OPS and stealing 28 bases without a caught stealing in the regular season. Beltran had one of the finest postseasons in Major League history for the Astros in 2004, hitting .435 (20x46) with eight home runs and 14 RBI in 12 games as the Astros fell just one win shy of reaching the World Series, losing the NLCS to the Cardinals in seven games. His eight homers are still a Major League record for a single postseason, which has been accomplished by two other players: Barry Bonds (2002) and Nelson Cruz (2011).
Overall, Beltran has appeared in 55 career playoff games and owns a .323 (63x195) average with 16 home runs and 41 RBI in those contests. He's made the postseason in six different seasons, including four of the last five, appearing in playoff games for the Astros (2004), Mets (2006), Cardinals (2012-13), Yankees (2015) and Rangers (2016). Beltran's career 1.078 OPS (.432 OBP/.646) in the postseason ranks second among active Major League players and ranks eighth all-time in Major League history. He also ranks among the top 10 Major League players all-time in career postseason OBP (9th), home runs (T-9th) and extra-base hits (30, T-10th). 
In his 19-year career, Beltran has been one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history. For his career, he has hit .281 (2617x9301) with 536 doubles, 421 home runs, 1,536 RBI and an .845 OPS. 
Beltran debuted with Kansas City (1998-2004) and went on to play for Houston (2004), New York-NL (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), New York-AL (2014-16) and Texas (2016). He's a nine-time All-Star (2004-07, 2009, 2011-13, 2016), a three-time Gold Glove winner (2006-08), a two-time Silver Slugger (2006-07) and won the AL 1999 Rookie of the Year Award.
Following the signing of Beltran, the Astros now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.
-ASTROS-