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| Carlos Beltran |
The club revealed on Thursday night operation, and hoped to make a formal announcement shortly after the holidays.
KMOX, the broadcaster specializing in the Cardinals, reported that the agreement for two years reached 26 million. A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that number is correct.
The person requested anonymity because the team did not announce financial terms of the agreement.
Beltran, 34, batted .300 with 22 homers, 84 RBIs and .385 average with men on base last season, in which he played with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.
Manatee slugger could start in right field the day when it opens next season. Lance Berkman is expected to move to first base, taking the place of Pujols.
Beltran and Berkman are switch-hitters, giving flexibility to the new manager Mike Matheny.
Earlier this month, San Luis renew the contract with shortstop Rafael Furcal, for two years and $ 14 million, and joined their ranks reliever JC Romero, through an agreement for one year and $ 750,000.
The Cardinals seem to need only a few settings to define its rotation.
After Pujols signed a contract for 10 years and 254 million with the Angels in Los Angeles, Cardinals president Bill DeWitt Jr. said San Luis payroll could exceed this year's total of 110 million dollars.
Craig Allen, who had an impressive postseason, it will be another good option for the Cardinals for the gardens, but will miss at least the first month of the season after undergoing knee surgery.
Beltran, six-time All-Star Game, began his career across the state of Missouri, with the Royals, in 1998, three years after Kansas City selected him in the second round of "draft". The switch-hitter has a career average of .283 with 302 homers and 1,146 RBIs.
"It's a proven outfielder, who evidently has been for many years a very tough opponent for the Cardinals," said San Luis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement. "It will be good to have his bat and his competitive spirit on our side, not the opposing team during the next couple of years."
Beltran faced the Cardinals in a couple of sets of the National League championship in 2004 with Houston and in 2006 with the Mets. St. Louis won both series in spite of the great hits of Puerto Rico.
However, many Mets fans have bad memories of Beltran.
In 2006, when he had the opportunity to put New York in the World Series, he struck out without throwing to end the seventh game of the ALCS against Adam Wainwright, Cardinals right.
