Carlos Beltran is stepping down as the manager of the New York Mets before ever having managed a game for the team.
Beltran informed the Mets on Thursday that he believes it is best if he resigns from his position in the wake of his involvement in the Houston Astros’ sign stealing scheme. Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news.
Carlos Beltran has told the Mets it is best if he steps down. Looks like the direction this will take.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) January 16, 2020
Both Beltran and the Mets later confirmed the move with statements.
The official statement from the Mets: pic.twitter.com/szleRYgi4V
— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) January 16, 2020
Beltran is now the third manager to lose his job after Major League Baseball released the findings of its investigation into the Astros stealing signs during their World Series season in 2017. Beltran and former Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora were both with the team at the time, and MLB painted them as the masterminds behind the operation.
Since MLB chose to focus on disciplinary action for managers and general managers rather than players, Beltran was not suspended despite his involvement. He was a player with the Astros during the 2017 season.
Beltran and Cora are close friends, and a video that circulated this week made it seem as though Cora could have hinted that Beltran was helping the New York Yankees steal signs when they hired him as a special adviser last year.
There are now three high-profile managerial positions vacant as spring training draws near. The Mets may regret passing on Joe Girardi, who appeared to want the job but ended up signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.
