NEW YORK – Carlos Beltrán is out as manager of the New York Mets before working 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 the Boston Red Sox 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 AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were fired by the Astros soon after they were suspended for the 2020 season by baseball commissioner Rob Manfred for their roles in the cheating scheme.
Next to fall was Beltrán, the only Astros player 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 part of the group involved in the team’s illicit use of electronics to pilfer signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series championship.
In a released statement, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen and Jeff Wilpon, the team’s chief operating officer, said they “met with Carlos last night and again this morning and agreed to mutually part ways.”