Carlos Beltran Out as Mets Manager After Cheating Scandal

Although M.L.B. did not punish any players, its report seemed to carve out a special status for Beltran as the only player named — even though many other Astros players were either involved in the scheme or aware of it.

And Beltran was more than just a typical player. He turned 40 in 2017, his final season of a 20-year career that was widely seen as worthy of Hall of Fame consideration when he becomes eligible in 2022.

Beltran, who spent the 2019 season as a special adviser with the Yankees, was also known as an expert at stealing signs through the more traditional, and legal, methods — without the assistance of electronics. Those include spying on catchers while on the basepaths and then relaying their signals to the batter with subtle gestures.

He was an influential and respected leader on the Astros, almost like a player-coach. When his name surfaced last autumn as a candidate to manage, many in baseball were intrigued by his potential as a manager. During the search process, he declared that the only team he was interested in managing was the Mets, the team for which he started from 2005 until 2011. He achieved that goal, but three months later he was forced to step away.

“We are confident that this will not be the final chapter in his baseball career,” the Mets said in their statement on Thursday. “We remain excited about the talent on this team and are committed to reaching our goals of winning now and in the future.”

Danielle Allentuck contributed reporting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/sports/baseball/carlos-beltran-mets-resigns.html?emc=rss&partner=rss