With reports surfacing that some of New York's National League East rivals are stepping up their pursuit of Carlos Beltran, remaining in the NL appears likely. Beltran has told friends that he would prefer to stay in the National League, according to people familiar with the situation. He told Newsday this week that two other factors will come into play -- the team's pitching staff and his aversion to being a designated hitter. When asked this week, Beltran denied a league switch would be a deal-breaker, but he did acknowledge it takes some getting used to. "It's not as important," Beltran said. "When I was in Kansas City and moved to the National League, I thought I was going to be like, 'Whoa. This is a totally different thing.' Sometimes it takes you more time to know the pitchers, but you're still playing the game. "I'm more focused on competing than the leagues."