STRIKE THREE

Mets Manager Carlos Beltran to Step Down Over Astros Cheating Fallout

Less than three months into the job, Beltran exits as part of the sign-stealing scandal.

Carlos Beltran will step down New York Mets manager, less than three months into the job, as a result of his implication in the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.

“As a veteran player on the team I should’ve recognized the severity of the issue and truly regret the actions that were taken,” Beltran said in a Thursday statement to ESPN. “I’m very sorry. It’s not who I am as a father, a husband, a teammate and as an educator. The Mets organization and I mutually agreed to part ways, moving forward for the greater good with no further distractions.”

The former outfielder, who played his final season with the Astros in 2017, the year they won the World Series, is the third MLB manager to lose their job as part of the cheating scandal’s fallout. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was a coach for the 2017 Astros, and Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who led the team to their championship, were both fired after an MLB investigation implicated the team in the sign-stealing scheme.