The New York Mets’ newest front office member, Carlos Beltran, in focused on his team — not the Houston Astros.
Beltran’s involvement in the infamous cheating scandal in 2017 with Houston led to his early exit as Mets manager in 2019, shortly after he was hired to replace Mickey Callaway. Three years later, Beltran is back in Queens, this time as special adviser to the general manager, Billy Eppler.
Beltran was present at the Mets’ spring training complex in Port St. Lucie Wednesday, where he fielded questions from reporters, who brought up the Astros.
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"Today’s not about the Astros," Beltrán said, via The Associated Press. "Today is about the Mets."
MLB’s report following its investigation of the Astros found they broke rules for using electronics to steal signs on their way to winning the 2017 World Series. In the report, Beltran was specifically mentioned as someone who played a major role in it. In fact, he was the only person mentioned in the report.
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This came out as Beltran was about to take on his first season as a manager in MLB, something he’s wanted to do since leaving the game as a player. But the Mets had to move on, eventually hiring Luis Rojas before he was replaced by Buck Showalter at the beginning of last year.
"I felt like that was a moment that needed to happen, and I moved on," Beltran said of parting ways with the Mets in 2019.
Beltran spent time in the YES Network broadcast booth last year as a color commentator but admitted several teams were looking to bring him in as a coach this year. However, he liked what the Mets were offering him.
He described his role as a bridge between players and the front office, which certainly helps coming from someone who has played for both the Mets and New York Yankees. New York City can be a tough place to play.
"They test you, they push you, but, most importantly, they push you to be better," Beltran said.
Beltran is also focused on helping the Mets’ minor leaguers, specifically those who share his baseball journey. He arrived in the U.S. as an international prospect and dealt with a culture barrier as he tried to live out his dream.
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"In my case, I feel when you are in the minor league system you need love," he said. "You need people to care about you. That’s why I’m motivated. I’m motivated because I didn’t have that person, and I hope that I can be that person for those kids."
Could Beltran’s role now eventually lead him back on the field as an MLB manager?
"You can never say no when you love the game and you love being around guys and being able to impact players and make careers better," Beltran said. "At this point, I’m OK where I am, but later on I don’t know."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
