BALTIMORE — The question of whether a given team should be a buyer or seller at the July 31 trade deadline is not typically posed to one of that team’s players. But Adrian Beltre is different. He is the elder statesman of the Texas Rangers, their undisputed clubhouse leader and, at age 38, still their best hitter by almost any measure. He is 17 hits shy of 3,000 for his career. In late July of the fifth year after his retirement, whenever that occurs, there is likely to be a ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, to induct him into the Hall of Fame.
Adrian Beltre, chasing his 3,000th hit, would rather help the Rangers chase a playoff spot
