Fired by Mets in Houston Astros cheating scandal to landing front office role with same team: What changed for Carlos Beltran?

Over the course of his two decades in MLB, outfielder Carlos Beltran recorded figures than led many to brand him as the best Puerto Rican player in history.

Beltran played for the Mets between 2005 and 2011, and was one of the team's best hitters during that time. A five-time All-Star in Queens, Beltran finally won a World Series in 2017 with the Houston Astros. An outcome very befitting of his final season in MLB.

"CALLING TIME: After 20 seasons, a Rookie of the Year award, nine All-Star appearances and, finally, a World Series title last month with the @Astros 40-year-old Carlos Beltran has announced his retirement." - Sports Center

In late 2019, one of Carlos Beltran's former teams, the New York Mets, extended a three-year offer to make him their manager. The agreement would have made Beltran the Mets' first Latino manager. However, in January 2020, before having managed a single game, Beltran was canned from the coveted managerial slot.

The dimissal came as a result of Beltran's role in the 2017 Houston Astros sign stealing scandal. Investigations revealed that members of the Astros had been using deceptive tactics to steal signs from opposing players. While Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said it was not an easy decision, it was one that had to be made.

"Finally the @Mets did something right, they fired Carlos Beltrán" - DeprtesRayTrue

However, after New York billionaire Steve Cohen bought the team in 2020, things began to change. Carlos Beltran, who was then working for New York Yankees broadcast outlet YES, was invited back by Cohen to rejoin the organization in the front office.

Making his debut with the Kansas City Royals, he hit .293/.337/.454 with 22 home runs and 108 RBIs in 1999 to be crowned the AL Rookie of the Year. In his first five seasons, playing with the Royals, Beltran hit 146 home runs and 562 RBIs, making him one of the most dominant hitters that the franchise had ever seen.

In 2005, after a brief stint in Houston, Beltran inked a sevem-year, $119 million deal with the New York Mets. As the tenth player in history to sign a deal worth over 100 million, Beltran got straight to work .

Carlos Beltran is a brilliant baseball mind

While Beltran was indeed on the cheating Astros team of 2017, no evidence was ever supplied that linked him to dishonest behavior. In fact, the only individual that was ever sanctioned was coach Alex Cora, who was subsequently hired as Boston Red Sox manager either way. While the optics might not have been optimal, firing Beltran was never a sound decision, and thankfully the Mets now realize it.