Carlos Beltran and the Mets have agreed to mutually part ways, sources tell SNY's Andy Martino. The Mets later confirmed the news.
The 42-year-old Beltran, who was hired in November, had been in Port St. Lucie preparing for the 2020 season as the Astros sign-stealing scandal investigation was wrapped up by MLB.
Beltran was the only player mentioned in MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's report that was released on Monday and focused on the Astros and Red Sox.
Manfred suspended Astros manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow for one season after releasing the report on Monday. Later on Monday, Hinch and Luhnow were fired by Houston. Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was the bench coach for the Astros in 2017 and whose name was prominent in the report, mutually parted ways with Boston on Tuesday after two years at the helm as he and the team awaited word on his discipline.
"We met with Carlos last night and again this morning and agreed to mutually part ways," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and GM Brodie Van Wagenen said 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. 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."
Beltran added that he and the team mutually agreed to part ways.
"At a meeting this morning with Jeff and Brodie we mutually agreed to part ways," Beltran said in a statement. "I'm grateful to them for giving me the opportunity, but we agreed this decision is in the best interest of the team. I couldn't let myself be a distraction for the team. I wish the entire organization success in the future."
Video: Todd Zeile reacts to Beltran's departure from Mets
Potential replacements to keep an eye on could be former manager Terry Collins (now an advisor to Van Wagenen), quality control coach Luis Rojas -- whose name has come up internally, according to Martino -- and current bench coach Hensley Meulens, who could also be a candidate to replace Cora in Boston
In Manfred's report, Beltran -- then a player for the Astros -- was cited as one of the players who discussed what later became a sign-stealing operation that was against MLB rules.
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, the report stated. Cora arranged for a video room technician to install a monitor displaying the center field camera feed immediately outside of the Astros' dugout. (The center field camera was primarily used for player development purposes and was allowed under MLB rules at the time when used for that purpose.) Witnesses have provided largely consistent accounts of how the monitor was utilized. One or more players watched the live feed of the center field camera on the monitor, and after decoding the sign, a player would bang a nearby trash can with a bat to communicate the upcoming pitch type to the batter.
The initial story in The Athletic about the Astros' sign-stealing operation did not come out until after Beltran was hired and introduced as manager, meaning it may not have been discussed during the interview process.
Asked about the situation in November at the GM Meetings, Van Wagenen downplayed it.
"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."
Beltran talked during his introductory press conference about attention to detail and how much he enjoyed figuring out how to get a competitive advantage.
He also talked about how he would be as a manager.
"I was able to go through a lot of places and learn from different organizations and a lot of times I asked myself before I got to this point, 'What kind of manager (do) I want to become? I want to become a manager that motivates my players to play at a high level," Beltran explained. "I want to be a manager that brings [positivity] to the clubhouse, a positive environment that allows [players] to show up every single day with the mentality to win ballgames. I did that as a player, I took a lot of pride in being a good teammate. Being a manager won't change [that] at all."
Now, Beltran is out before managing a single game for the Mets -- done in along with two other managers and a GM by a scandal that once had nothing to do with the Mets and now has everything to do with them.