MLB came down hard on the now-fired duo of Astros manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow on Monday, suspending both of them for one season as part of their involvement in Houston's sign-stealing scandal.
Despite being named in MLB's report, Mets manager Carlos Beltran -- who was a player with the Astros in 2017 when their scheme was ongoing -- will not be suspended.
SNY's Andy Martino reported on Jan. 7 that as Major League Baseball entered the final stages of its investigation, "all indications" were that Beltran would not be suspended.
In a series of statements released by MLB, commissioner Rob Manfred shed light on why no players were suspended and touched on Beltran's involvement.
"Approximately two months into the 2017 season, a group of players, including Carlos Beltran, discussed that the team could improve on decoding opposing teams' signs and communicating the signs to the batter," Manfred wrote, adding that then-bench coach Alex Cora "made arrangements" for the Astros' video room technician to install a monitor that displayed the center field camera feed right outside Houston's dugout.
While noting that he would not "assess discipline against individual Astros players," Manfred noted that he is "not in a position based on the investigative record to determine with any degree of certainty every player who should be held accountable, or their relative degree of culpability."
Shortly after being hired by the Mets, Beltran weighed in on the situation.
"We took a lot of pride studying pitchers in the computer -- that is the only technology that I use and I understand," Beltrán told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic in November. "It was fun seeing guys get to the ballpark to look for little details. (In) the game of baseball, guys for years have given location and if the catchers get lazy and the pitcher doesn't cover the signs from second base, of course players are going to take advantage."
Asked in November about the fact that Beltran played a "key role in devising" the Astros' scheme, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen played things down.
"Anything that happened, happened for another organization with Houston, Major League Baseball," Van Wagenen said. "I have no idea if anything did or did not (happen). But at this point, I don't see any reason why this is a Mets situation."