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Carlos Beltran is headed back to Houston, hoping his 20th season in the majors could bring him -- and the Astros -- a most elusive World Series championship.A person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Saturday that the free agent slugger and the Astros have reached a one-year deal for $16 million.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement. ESPN first reported the agreement.Beltran joins a rich, revamped lineup, with Houston recently adding catcher Brian McCann and outfielder Josh Reddick to a talented, young nucleus.Beltran, who turns 40 in April, hit a combined .295 with 29 home runs and 93 RBI last season. The switch-hitter was traded from the New York Yankees to the Texas Rangers on Aug. 1 and split his time as a designated hitter and right fielder, playing 151 games.A nine-time All-Star, Beltran has often excelled in October. His rise to postseason prominence began in his first playoff game, for Houston in 2004.Acquired from Kansas City that summer, Beltran went on to hit a postseason record-tying eight homers in only 12 games while batting .435 with 14 RBI, along with six steals. The Astros lost in the NL Championship Series to St. Louis that fall. In 2005, Beltran joined the New York Mets, while the Astros wound up getting swept by the White Sox in their only World Series appearance.Beltran made his lone World Series appearance in 2013 with St. Louis, which lost to Boston in six games. Overall, he has hit .323 with 16 homers and 41 RBI in 55 postseason games.Beltran is a career .281 hitter with 421 home runs and 1,536 RBI in 19 seasons with the Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees and Rangers. Hes gone to the playoffs with five different teams.Led by middle infielders Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa and ace Dallas Keuchel, the Astros ended a decade-long playoff drought -- and reversed a four-year span in which they averaged well over 100 losses -- by winning the AL wild card in 2015. Expected to be a championship contender this year, Houston instead went 84-78 and missed the playoffs.The Astros have been busy since then, signing Reddick to a $52 million, four-year deal after he finished the season with the Dodgers and getting McCann in a trade with the Yankees. The Astros got $11 million from the Yankees to help cover the $34 million total hes set to make in the next two seasons.Along with his production on the field, Beltran has long been praised for his clubhouse influence and leadership, especially among young teammates. Beltran also runs an academy back home in Puerto Rico, where students focus on academics as well as athletics. 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Price, heading to the 2014 Olympics for Canada, was named the First Star after posting wins in three starts with a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage. Ankit Bawne has had an intriguing career. He made his first-class debut at 15, in 2007-08, and established himself as a regular in the Maharashtra side in three years. Since 2010-11, he has never averaged less than 45 in a Ranji Trophy season. Six days shy of turning 24, Bawne is already some sort of veteran: he has played 68 first-class matches and scored 4663 runs at an average of 52.98, including 15 hundreds. A List A average of 43.08 from 43 games suggests he is not a one-format player.Despite his numbers, Bawne has never been part of India A or IPL squads. He doesnt deny feeling disappointed but offers a practical alternative to sulking. There is just one goal - to play for India. Till that time, I have to keep fighting, he tells ESPNcricinfo at the end of Maharashtras Group B match against Assam in Chennai. I look at it positively because in cricket there is no point in being negative; you only get demotivated.Five years ago Bawne could have easily become demotivated after making headlines for the wrong reasons. He was removed from the India under-19 squad ahead of a quadrangular tournament in Visakhapatnam after the date of birth in his passport was found to not match the one in his birth certificate and the BCCIs records. As it didnt meet the cut-off date for the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, Bawne, who was originally named captain for the quadrangular tournament, was omitted. Unmukt Chand took over the captaincy and went on to win the World Cup, even as Bawne lamented that the agent who had arranged for his passport had mixed up the dates.Bawne does not think the episode hindered his future selections, but admits the controversy was a test of his mental toughness, especially with the odd taunt tossed at him on the field. You have to endure such stuff. In cricket, there are no easy days, he says. The support of my family, the team coach and Ajay [Shirke] sir, our president [of the Maharashtra Cricket Association], was crucial. But, you have to be tough and remain steadfast in your goals. The character I showed at that time has led to where I am now.The Under-19 was a shortcut for me to the national side, but the ultimate dream is to play for the senior team. I dont think [my performances are overshadowed by the controversy] because Ranji Trophy is not an under-19 tournament. The selectors have played enough cricket to know that Ranji Trophy performances count as far as selection for Test cricket is concerned. Many players obviously get a chance by virtue of the IPL, but I am not a part of the IPL, so Ranji Trophy is everything to me.Many quality players in domestic cricket have rued the chance for lesser talents to attract selectors attentions with a few good IPL performances. Bawne too says not playing in the IPL is a setback because of the recall value it brings.It is a little tough at the Ranji Trophy level compared to the IPL; this time there are no [league] matches being broadcast in contrast to the IPL where every match is shown live. Teen ghante ka match hota hai, 14 matches hote hai, do shot bhi koi achcha khela toh notice ho jaata hai (the game spans three hours and there are 14 matches. Even if someone plays two good shots, he gets noticed).Bawne, however, understands there are many routes to the Indian dressing room, and that batsmen better than him have taken the harder route and succeeded. He derives comfort from how long the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane had to grind it out in domestic cricket before breaking into the national side. A chat with Virender Sehwag further strengthened his belief that tthe rigours of the Ranji Trophy would ultimately prove rewarding.ddddddddddddPujara and Rahane got their chances after scoring about 5000 runs in first-class cricket, Bawne says. When you play 60-70 first-class matches and then play Test cricket, you see how these players dominate in international cricket.During the last season, when we were playing against Haryana, I asked Virender Sehwag sir how I could make the step up to the next level. He told me I was playing well and I will get my chances. It wasnt like I would be completely ignored.Bawne knows he has to score at least 700-800 runs every season - his personal target hovers around the 1000-run mark - to be on the selectors radar. He is Maharashtras leading run-getter this season with 687 runs at an average of 57.25, but will not get any more opportunities to inch towards 1000 runs with his team failing to make the knockouts.The accomplishment of a maiden double-hundred, though, has given him plenty of satisfaction. His 258 came in the course of the second-highest partnership in first-class history in the company of captain Swapnil Gugale in Delhi.Whatever I have set out to achieve - to score big runs, to remain consistent and average around 50 - I have done that. I wanted to score a double-hundred this time, he says. I bat at No.5-6, so I mostly have to score runs with the bowlers for company. Luckily against Mumbai, since Kedar Jadhav was away for the New Zealand [ODI] series, I got to bat at No.4. It was a good wicket and there was a quality opposition in the form of Delhi, so I couldnt let go of that chance.Bawne also sees a role-model in Indias limited-overs captain MS Dhoni. In 2014-15, when Bawne hit a dead-end in his limited-overs batting, he decided to re-invent his game. Bawne says he picked up cues from watching Dhoni on TV and applied the knowledge during practice. The results were instant as Bawne scored two hundreds and an unbeaten 78 from four innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.I have been inspired by how he [Dhoni] makes runs in the one-dayers, especially with the lower order, and how he plays percentage cricket, he says. I didnt want to be a one-dimensional player and wanted to average around 45-50 in one-dayers. I was trying to clear the ropes, and focusing on my release shots as well.Closer home, Bawne has found inspiration in Jadhav, whose recent successes in international cricket, he feels, have provided him and his team-mates a template to follow.When six-seven players from Mumbai or Delhi used to make it to the Indian team, it became easier for the others to stay under the radar and keep performing, he says. I got to know what the path was after seven-eight years of hard-work. Had there been an India player in the side, you would have learnt it in two years.Now we know the path to succeed - Kedar has scored 1000 runs and progressed. When I talk to Kedar, he says its a big deal to have 5000-odd runs at my age and keeps telling me to stick it out.That would be good advice, especially with the chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad, taking notice of Bawnes performances. His records have been good, but this year he has been very consistent, Prasad tells ESPNcricinfo. My colleagues have watched him bat this season and I have seen him bat last year. He is a good player.Bawne feels he is currently in the best form of his life. This year I am feeling very comfortable, he says. I am not trying to take risks and I dont feel nervous at all. ' ' '