The Boston Red Sox have expressed their interest to sign All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals in last month's World Series.

According to Boston Herald reporter Scott Lauber, the Red Sox have already begun their move to further improve their lineup after winning their third World Series crown in 10 years. Apparently, the former Cardinals slugger topped their free-agency wish list.

"Sources tell Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald that the Red Sox have engaged in 'serious dialogue' with free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran," CBS Sports stated

Beltran batted .296 with 24 homers and 84 RBIs last season for the Cardinals, but his presence was even more felt during the postseason. The 36-year-old slugger batted .268 with two homers and 15 RBI during the series. More remarkably, Beltran's postseason OPS of .852 made him one of the most efficient sluggers in MLB playoffs history.

Sacrifices To Make

The Cardinals made a qualifying offer for Beltran at the start of the free agency period. The Cardinals and Beltran's representatives are currently negotiating for a possible extension, but in case things don't work out well, several teams are expected to make their bid for the reliable clutch hitter in exchange for their high draft picks.

"Worth remembering is that the Cardinals made a qualifying offer to Beltran, so if a team other than the Cardinals signs him, then that team will be sacrificing a high draft pick in order to do so," CBS Sports MLB insider Dayn Perry reported on Wednesday.

Hot player on the Market

There's no doubt the Red Sox will tap all possible options to acquire a serviceable slugger like Beltran. However, there are several teams very much willing to put more lucrative deals on the table.

The CBS Sports insider reported that the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles are ready to present big paychecks in an attempt to steal Beltran from their American League East rival. However, the Red Sox are also determined to stay in Beltran sweepstakes, knowing that slugger Jacoby Elsburry could bolt out from Fenway Park anytime.

"From Boston's standpoint, they would get some certainty in an outfield that depended rather heavily upon role players in 2013 and may face the loss of Jacoby Ellsbury via free agency," Perry stated.