Carlos Beltran out as Mets manager amid MLB sign-stealing scandal
Jan 16, 2020, 12:04 PM
New York Mets manager Carlos Beltran listens to a question during the Major League Baseball winter meetings, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Carlos Beltrán is out as manager of the New York Mets before managing even a single game, the latest fallout from the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal that has rocked Major League Baseball.
The Mets announced the decision Thursday in a news release, saying Beltrán and the team “agreed to mutually part ways.” The move came two days after Boston cut ties with manager Alex Cora, who was Houston’s bench coach in 2017 when Beltrán played for the Astros.
A day before that, manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were fired by Houston soon after they were suspended for the 2020 season by Commissioner Rob Manfred for their roles in the cheating scheme.
Next to fall was Beltrán, the only Astros hitter mentioned by name Monday when MLB issued its findings from an investigation into the club’s conduct. No players were disciplined, but the nine-page report said Beltrán was among the group involved in the team’s illicit use of electronics to pilfer signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series championship.
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Beltran’s ouster before he managed a game for his team is the first since the Arizona Diamondbacks fired Wally Backman four days after he was introduced in November 2004.
Backman was replaced by Bob Melvin after two arrests and financial woes that he did not disclose to the team were made public.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
