This has truly turned into one of the most historic scandals in MLB history.
The Mets parted ways with manager Carlos Beltran on Thursday afternoon, less than three months after hiring him. He's the third manager in the last week to be either fired or step down following the Astros' cheating scandal, joining AJ Hinch and Alex Cora. That's two World Series-winning managers and another in Beltran whose hire resulted in near universal praise.
Will our great grandchildren be talking about this 100 years from now the way we still reference the Black Sox scandal of 1919?
Beltran was named in commissioner Rob Manfred's report which detailed the Astros' sign-stealing. Beyond Cora, Beltran's name was mentioned the most. As recently as two months ago, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen dismissed questions about Beltran's involvement and told reporters he saw it as an Astros issue.
Not anymore.
"We met with Carlos last night and again this morning and agreed to mutually part ways," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and Van Wagenen wrote in a statement.
"This was not an easy decision. Considering the circumstances, it became clear to all parties that it was not in anyone's best interest for Carlos to move forward as manager of the New York Mets.
MLB
"We believe that Carlos was honest and forthcoming with us. We are confident that this will not be the final chapter in his baseball career. We remain excited about the talent on this team and are committed to reaching our goals of winning now and in the future."
It seemed inevitable over the last 48 hours that Beltran would be let go. The focus shifted from Hinch and former Astros GM Jeff Luhnow to Cora and then to Beltran. The stink kept spreading and the Mets obviously feel they're better off cutting ties now to avoid any awkwardness or questions about their own franchise.
"Over my 20 years in the game, I've always taken pride in being a leader and doing things the right way, and in this situation, I failed," Beltran's statement read. "As a veteran player on the team, I should've recognized the severity of the issue and truly regret the actions that were taken."
This shakes up the NL East a bit. No, managers don't have the same impact on baseball teams that head coaches in the NFL or NBA have, but the Mets are now in scramble mode. Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month.
And beyond that, the Mets might be the third-most attractive managerial vacancy right now behind the Astros and Red Sox.
Buck Showalter? He's a New York-savvy guy and was a finalist for the job here that went to Joe Girardi.
As disappointing as the post-Didi Gregorius/Zack Wheeler period of the offseason has been for many Phillies fans, two events this week did benefit them: the Mets' disarray and Josh Donaldson's departure from the Braves to sign with the Twins.
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