Trial baloon.
Beltran's got the courage to play in New York -- and it DOES take courage and heart to play there because NO WHERE else in sports is the pressure is greater to succeed and win.
For some players, NO amount of money is worth dealing with NY, while others just plain find out in a hurry they can't perform -- like the recently dispatched Vasquez, and Jeff Weaver.
I agree it probably was a trial balloon. However, I will say that for some reason I don't think Beltran will succeed in NY, if he does end up going there. I don't have any real reason to say that, but it's just a gut feeling. That doesn't make him a bad person, or not courageous, or even a bad ballplayer in my book.
And, of course, I could be totally wrong. We shall see. :-)