Beltré honed his skills during years in Seattle

Adrian Beltré led the major leagues in home runs in 2004. The Seattle Mariners finished last in the American League in that category that year.

On Dec. 17, 2004, Beltré and the Mariners formed a perfect union when they agreed to a five-year deal that would pay Beltré a reported $64 million.

“The more we talked about it, the more this looked like the right move,” Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi told the Associated Press. “This was the right fit for us, position-wise.”

Beltré debuted in the big leagues less than three months after his 19th birthday in 1998, spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Dodgers. He was a consistent run producer for his first five full seasons before his breakout campaign in 2004 when he hit 48 home runs, totaled 121 RBI and batted .334 while leading Los Angeles to its first postseason berth since 1996.

The Mariners, meanwhile, posted AL-lows in home runs (136) and runs scored (698). But team chairman Howard Lincoln said the team would be active in free agency following that 99-loss campaign and fulfilled his promise by signing Beltré and first baseman Richie Sexson to long-term deals.

“It’s a great baseball city and a great organization,” Beltré told the AP about Seattle. “They’re going to have a great team. They want to be competitive here sooner rather than later.”

Beltré also brought his premium defensive skills to Seattle after finishing second among NL third basemen in assists in 2003 and 2004. He would go on to win the first two Gold Glove Awards of his career with the Mariners in 2007 and 2008.

Following the 2003 season, Beltré had bone spurs removed from his left ankle – a condition that he felt actually improved his batting because it forced him to focus at the plate since swings-and-misses caused him pain in the ankle. He could not duplicate his career-best season in 2005 but still hit 19 home runs and totaled 87 RBI. By 2007, Beltré had helped the Mariners climb back above the .500 mark.

When his five-year contract expired at the end of the 2009 season, Beltré signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox before finishing his career with seven stellar seasons with the Rangers. And though his time in Seattle didn’t produce a postseason appearance, Beltré enjoyed playing in the Pacific Northwest.

“I couldn’t be any happier, because I’m going to be in same organization as my favorite player, Edgar Martinez,” Beltré told the AP when he signed with Seattle following the 2004 season.

Martinez had announced his retirement as an active player toward the end of the 2004 campaign but remained with the Mariners in a front office role. Martinez was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2019, and five years later Beltré joined him in Cooperstown.

“This guy is a masher,” Bavasi said of Beltré. “He’s a talented guy and talent usually wins.”

Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum