Mets Split With Beltrán

The Astros sign stealing scandal has claimed yet another victim.  The New York Mets announced today that they have parted ways with new manager, Carlos Beltrán.

Beltrán was named manager in Queens on November 1, replacing Mickey Callaway.  He had never managed in the majors before the Mets gave him a shot.  He was a member of the 2017 Houston Astros that won the World Series.  He came to the Mets with a strong reputation as a leader with a keen mind for the game.

Sadly, it was the latter that led to his dismissal.  The report from Commissioner Rob Manfred revealed Beltran as a key player in devising the sign stealing system:

This doesn't say that Beltrán originated the plan, it makes him sound more like a co-conspirator and not a ringleader.  If he was still a player, I don't think he would have been named in the report.  Commisioner Manfred didn't shy from saying the operation was "player-driven".  However given the power of the baseball players union, it would be almost impossible to penalize any players in the scandal.

Nevertheless, some heads needed to roll as a result of the investigation.  Beltran and Alex Cora were essentially marked for death by Commisioner Manfred when they were singled out in his report.  Cora was let go on Tuesday by Boston.

Beltrán did issue a statement after it was announced he was out as the Mets manager:

"Over my 20 years in the game, I've always taken pride in being a leader and doing things the right way, and in this situation, I failed.  As a veteran player on the team, I should've recognized the severity of the issue and truly regret the actions that were taken.  I am a man of faith and integrity and what took place did not demonstrate those characteristics that are so very important to me and my family.  I'm very sorry.  It's not who I am as a father, a husband, a teammate and as an educator.  The Mets organization and I mutually agreed to part ways, moving forward for the greater good with no further distractions.  I hope that at some point in time, I'll have the opportunity to return to this game that I love so much."

The only characteristic Beltrán displayed in 2017 was that of greed.  He wanted that World Series ring.  He knew that the 2017 Houston Astros were his last chance at getting the elusive ring.  What once was a guaranteed Hall of Fame career, has now been forever tarnished.  It now ranks up there with the likes of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa as a cheater.