BELTRAN RIPS METS
On day Carlos puts on pinstripes, he takes shot at old team:
CARLOS BELTRAN hopes his second tenure in New York ends better than the first one did — both on and off the field.
Beltran was all smiles Friday as he finally slipped into Yankees pinstripes, a jersey he’s longed to wear for several years. But as he discussed his excitement about joining the Yankees for the next three years, Beltran also took some shots at the Mets for the way they treated him during his final years in Queens.
“It wasn’t right, put it that way,” said Beltran, who was criticized for skipping a September 2010 team visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, then targeted by Fred Wilpon in May of 2011 when the owner told The New Yorker that the outfielder was “65 to 70% of what he was.” “It’s a shame,” Beltran said. Asked if his new deal with the Yankees represented a second chance for him in New York, Beltran made it clear he felt no need for a do-over.
“That was a long time ago,” Beltran said. “I’m pretty good at turning pages.
“I was successful in New York. I don’t need to prove to nobody that I can be successful here. I just need to stay healthy and continue to do my job.”
Beltran was accompanied Friday by his wife, Jessica, and their two daughters, Ivana and Kiara. Also at the press conference were Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, team president Randy Levine, COO Lonn Trost and Joe Girardi.
“I just watched how he handled this press conference and how professional he was,” the manager said. “We’ve all seen the way he plays the game. You can just see there’s a level of comfort in the spotlight.”
Beltran, who turns 37 in April, wanted to join the Yankees nine years ago, meeting with George Steinbrenner despite the fact that the Yankees weren’t in the market for a center fielder. Beltran even offered the Bombers a discount before he inked his seven-year, $119 million deal with the Mets.
“Which player doesn’t want to play in this city and this organization?” said Beltran, who grew up as a Bernie Williams fan in Puerto Rico. “Every year, they’re always going to find a way to put a good team out there. As a player, you want to be part of that.”
The eight-time All-Star joins Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann as the Yankees’ major offseason additions, as the Bombers look to rebound after missing the postseason last year for only the second time in 19 seasons.
Beltran signed for three years and $45 million, bringing the total spent for the three free agents to $283 million.
“I know there’s going to be a lot of good things coming out of the New York Yankees,” Beltran said. “With the signings of Ellsbury, McCann and myself, and the players that we have, I believe we have a good team to go all the way.”
A career .283/.359/.496 hitter, Beltran has 358 home runs and 1,327 RBI with the Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants and Cardinals.
Beltran averaged 29 homers and 104 RBI between 2005-08, but injuries cost him more than half his games over the next two seasons. The Mets dealt him to the Giants in July of 2011 for Zack Wheeler.