Carlos Beltran, the only player named in MLB’s investigation of the Houston Astros‘ sign-stealing scandal, is out as manager of the New York Mets before beginning his first season with the team, it was announced Thursday.
“We met with Carlos last night and again this morning and agreed to mutually part ways,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement Thursday. “This was not an easy decision. Considering the circumstances, it became clear to all parties that it was not in anyone’s best interest for Carlos to move forward as Manager of the New York Mets.
“We believe Carlos was honest and forthcoming with us. We are confident that this will not be the final chapter in his baseball career. We remain excited about the talent on this team and are committed to reaching our goals of winning now and in the future.”
Beltran is the third manager to lose his job in the fallout from the investigation. The Astros fired A.J. Hinch after the report was issued, and the Boston Red Sox parted with Alex Cora after he admitted to wrongdoing while with the Astros.
“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 in a statement given to ESPN. “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 scheme devised by the Astros involved using trash cans and video cameras to send out signals to hitters. No player received any discipline from MLB for the sign-stealing scheme, but Beltran was the only one to be named.
“Approximately two months into the 2017 season, a group of players, including Carlos Beltrán, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams’ signs and communicating the signs to the batter,” said MLB’s report, which was issued Monday.
The Mets signed Beltran on Nov. 1 to a three-year deal with an option for a fourth season. It was to be his first job as a major league manager.
Beltran is not the first MLB manager to be let go before ever filling out a lineup card. In 2004, the Arizona Diamondbacks fired Wally Backman four days after he was introduced as the team’s manager because of legal difficulties he did not disclose to them.
A nine-time All-Star during 20 major league seasons, Beltran finished his major league career with the Astros in 2017 and spent 2019 as an adviser to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
Beltran, 42, played for the Mets from 2005 to 2011.