THIS DAY IN BÉISBOL January 16: Carlos Beltran fired as Mets manager before season starts

Carlos Beltran lost his job as Mets manager before he even put on the uniform on this day in béisbol, January 16, 2020.

The Hall of Fame candidate was fired by New York after he was the only player named in the MLB investigation into sign stealing by the 2017 Houston Astros.

Beltran was technically the third manager to get (garbage) canned. The probe also cost Astros manager A.J. Hinch his job, as well as Red Sox skipper Alex Cora, who was a Houston coach during the scandal that involved Astros personnel using a centerfield camera to steal pitching signs and relay them to the batter by banging a dugout garbage can.

The firing may have derailed or at least delayed Beltran’s chances at being voted into Cooperstown. The Puerto Rico native, who ended his 20-year career in 2017 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBI, played for seven teams, including the Royals and both New York teams.

Wknight94, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, LatinoBaseball.com illustration