On Dec. 17, 2004, a fallen American League powerhouse scored a free agent coup. Adrián Beltré was 25 years old and was coming off a .334/.388/.629 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. True, his production since reaching the majors as a teenager had been erratic, but his 2004 was the long-awaited breakout. He didn’t land the NL MVP award, because Barry Bonds existed, but he had Arrived.
The Seattle Mariners were thrilled to land Beltré on...