Beltran, Mets part ways in wake of Astros scandal
The New York Mets and Carlos Beltran mutually parted ways on Thursday, three days after the club’s new manager was implicated in the Houston Astros’ signstealing incident from 2017.
The Mets released separate statements from the club and Beltran indicating the parting was agreed to Thursday morning.
The team statement was from chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and executive vice-president Brodie Van Wagenen.
“We met with Carlos (Wednesday) night and again (Thursday) morning and agreed to mutually part ways,” the statement began. “This was not an easy decision. Considering the circumstances, it became clear to all parties that it was not in anyone’s best interests for Carlos to move forward as manager of the New York Mets.”
Beltran was a player during the 2017 incident. Now retired, he was hired by the Mets in November.
“I’m grateful to them for giving me the opportunity, but we agreed this decision is in the best interest of the team,” Beltran said in his statement. “I couldn’t let myself be a distraction for the team. I wish the entire organization success in the future.”
Beltran is the third manager to lose his job due to the scandal. Houston fired A.J. Hinch, and the Boston Red Sox and Alex Cora agreed to part ways. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow also was dismissed.
Cora was identified by MLB on Monday as a ringleader in the Astros’ scheme to steal signs en route to their 2017 World Series championship, when he was Houston’s bench coach. He became the Red Sox’s manager the next year and led his new team to the title — albeit with lingering suspicions regarding similar illegal sign-stealing.
Beltran was the lone player named in the report. The scheme involved using video cameras and trash cans to tip hitters off to pitches.
“Approximately two months into the 2017 season, a group of players, including Carlos Beltran, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams’ signs and communicating the signs to the batter,” the MLB report said.
Beltran, 42, was a nine-time all-star who batted .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs with seven teams.
He later released an additional statement to ESPN.
“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,” Beltran said. “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.”
Houston’s sign-stealing tendencies officially came into the spotlight when former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers made comments to reporters this off-season, referencing it was occurring when he was on the club’s 2017 World Series championship team.
Fiers now pitches for the Oakland Athletics.
Mets adviser Jessica Mendoza, who also is a broadcaster for ESPN, sharply criticized Fiers on Thursday, possibly violating MLB’s call that no club employees comment on the situation.
“If you’re with the Oakland A’s and you’re on another team, I mean heck yeah, you better be telling your teammates, ‘Look, hey, heads up. If you hear some noises when you’re pitching, this is what’s going on,’ ” Mendoza said on ESPN Radio. “For sure. But to go public, yeah. It didn’t sit well with me. And honestly, it made me sad for the sport that that’s how this all got found out.
“This wasn’t something that MLB naturally investigated or that even other teams complained about because they naturally heard about, and then investigations happen. But it came from within.
“It was a player that was a part of it, that benefited from it during the regular season when he was a part of that team.”
Mendoza later posted a statement on Twitter to clarify her criticism of Fiers.
“The point I should have been much more clear on was this: I believe it’s very critical that this news was made public; I simply disagree with the manner in which that was done,” Mendoza said.