Carlos Beltran will not be the New York Mets next manager after all. Sources are reporting that the organization has decided to go in a different direction after MLB released their findings in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal during their 2017 World Championship season.
The Mets have made it official, saying that they "mutually agreed to part ways" with Carlos Beltran.
Beltran: “I’m grateful to them for giving me the opportunity, but we agreed this decision is in the best interest of the team. I couldn’t let myself be a distraction."
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) January 16, 2020
Beltran was cited as a central figure in the scandal along with manager A.J. Hinch, general manager Jeff Luhnow and bench coach Alex Cora. Hinch and Luhnow were suspended by the league office for one year then were subsequently fired by the Astros earlier this week.
Cora, now the manager of the Boston Red Sox, stepped down this week before the Commissioner’s office could impose any discipline. Cora is also embroiled in another similar scandal in Boston and could end up getting banned from beabll altogether after this second investigation is completed.
Beltran was said to be safe, but the evidence against him have forced the Mets’ hand.
From Rick Laughland of SI.com:
There’s reportedly been disagreements within the organization about how to handle the cheating scandal that Beltran has been implicated in. If New York moves on from the future Hall of Fame player turned manager, they’ll be in effect paying three managers in” Mickey Callaway, Beltran, and the newly hired skipper.
It’s not exactly an enviable position to be in, particularly with the current ownership not exactly being on stable financial footing. Many Mets fans are lukewarm on the Beltran hiring to begin with. After his epic strikeout on an Adam Wainwright salacious curveball in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS that sent the Mets home packing and the Cardinals to the World Series, it appears Beltran will never live that down. Mets fans had Joe Girardi as their top choice before letting him leave their building without a deal and watching him sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Mets bypassed several talented managerial candidates this offseason to hire Beltran, even though they knew this timebomb was ticking in the background. They had to know no matter which way this fleshed out that it would be a lingering distraction.