I loved what the Texas Rangers did in 2010. They overcame near bankruptcy to contend. They sent a top-notch prospect and others to Seattle to grab Cliff Lee for a pennant chase and it almost worked to perfection, as the Rangers pushed San Francisco in the World Series before falling.

I also think the Rangers are going to be serious players for years to come. They are now well financed and a television deal with Fox Sports Southwest makes them a real, big-money player near the likes of the Yankees and the Red Sox.

But I’m stymied by the latest news from Arlington, Texas. Various reports have the Texas Rangers close to dedicating big money – about $96 million for six years, according to at least one report – toward signing third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Now, Beltre’s not a bad player, not by any stretch. By most accounts his defense at third base has always been very good, though there are also suggestions that he’s slipping a bit, and even if he isn’t yet, he’d be 37 at the end of a six-year deal.

The bigger question I have is his offense. This is a guy who has had two monster seasons out of 13 in the big leagues with the bat. He hit .334 with 48 homers, 121 RBI and a 1.017 OPS in 2004 at the age of 25. And he hit .321 with 28 homers, 102 RBI and a .919 OPS in 2010 with the Red Sox.

Take out those two seasons and he has 202 dingers in 11 seasons. Take out those two seasons and he’s had one 99 RBI season and never anything else above 89. Take out those two seasons and Beltre is a .264 hitter who has never produced another OPS above .835 and who has produced a lot more seasons in the low to mid .700s in that category.

What’s the most obvious common thread between the two monster seasons produced by Beltre? They were two contract years. After his 2004 season with Los Angeles Dodgers, he was signed to a big money contract by Seattle and promptly put up decent-but-largely-ordinary seasons. He signed a one-year deal with Boston last year after an injury-filled 2009 with Seattle and put up his second huge season with Boston.

And here we sit.

The Rangers have gotten buy in from team player Michael Young, who reportedly has agreed to become a designated hitter/utility infielder to make room for Beltre at third base. So it would appear as though there is a strong likelihood a deal is in some level of negotiation.

And I think this might be a mistake. I understand the Rangers want to capitalize on the momentum they garnered during the fantastic postseason run. And losing out to Philadelphia on Cliff Lee had to be a difficult pill to swallow.

Beltre is considered one of, if not the, last impact non-pitcher on the market. But giving six years and a nearly nine-figure contract to a good-but-not-great player who saved his best career moments for the seasons in which his long-term deals are about to end doesn’t seem like a prudent way to improve what is and will be a very competitive team, with or without Beltre.

There will be opportunities both in-season and next off-season to add pieces to the puzzle if they are deemed necessary. Signing Beltre long-term is more likely to prove the axiom that sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make.