I love hearing reports about how teams “refuse” to give up a certain prospects for Carlos Beltran. Reporters, blogs, and fans talk about the fact that Beltran is a two month rental and will yield no draft picks (contract dictates the team can’t offer him arbitration) in free agency after the season. Earlier today, Jayson Stark of ESPN quoted a scout who believes that RHP Zach Wheeler, RHP Heath Hembree, CF Gary Brown, and 1b/OF Brandon Belt are “untouchable” in any deal. So what exactly does GM Brian Sabean expect to give up for Beltran? Brian Wilson‘s beard and a free copy of “The Franchise” when it comes out on DVD?

What you are telling me is Sabean is going to let Gary Brown lose the 2011 pennant? Atlanta is going to hoard all their young pitchers and blow a great chance to win their first World Series since 1995? Then there are the Beltran alternatives. B.J. Upton? Please. Let’s see him play hard for a full season first. Hunter Pence? Not in the same league as Beltran on either side of the ball. Even a compromised Beltran is better on the defensive end. This is not a marginal upgrade. This is a potential Hall of Fame outfielder that you are talking about.

I realize that teams like San Francisco and Atlanta need to be careful with what prospects they deal since they don’t live in the payroll stratosphere of the big market teams. But the reality is there aren’t many chances to win, and when there are, you have to go for it within reason. Giving up a Mike Minor or Gary Brown in a deal for Carlos Beltran falls into that “within reason” category.  The Mets thought they had a huge window to win it all and it went away very quickly. You can’t criticize them dealing players like Heath Bell, Matt Lindstrom, or Lastings Milledge; it was the return they received that you can criticize. Look at former top prospect Fernando Martinez and tell me if you wish they didn’t “sell high” on him three years ago. Prospects are just what the name implies. Nowhere in the definition does the word “guarantee” come into play. Beltran may not be a guarantee, but the probability of maximizing that window of opportunity goes up exponentially with him on your roster this year.

Have we become so obsessed with prospects and value that we all have lost sight of the forest from the trees? Isn’t the point of all this to win a championship? Not collect prospects or build a roster with the most value. I give Tampa credit for doing more with less each year, but it yielded one pennant in a Yankees off-year. If the Bombers pitching were healthy I suspect Tampa doesn’t even make the playoffs in 2008, much less go to the World Series.

Most of this is just teams using the media as a way to posture for the best deal possible. There is nothing wrong with a Brian Sabean balking at the Mets asking for one of their top three prospects as the centerpiece of a Carlos Beltran deal. There is something wrong with him if he allows a centerfielder that was drafted a year ago to be the reason why he doesn’t bring in an impact hitter that can be a major piece in leading them to their second straight World Series.

Former big league shortstop Garry Templeton once said ”If I ain’t starting, I ain’t departing” in regards to attending the All Star Game. Perhaps I could amend that to Beltran “ain’t departing” unless a minimum of one top prospect is coming back the other way. Let’s remember what this is all about. It’s about winning, not value. Somehow I think we have lost sight of that.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com

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Tags: Atlanta Braves, B.J. Upton, Brandon Belt, Carlos Beltran, Fernando Martinez, Gary Brown, Heath Bell, Heath Hembree, Houston Astros, Hunter Pence, Lastings Milledge, Matt Lindstrom, Mike Minor, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Zach Wheeler