The Mets’ decision to hire Carlos Beltrán was frictionless for precisely one week. After his introductory press conference on November 4, the praise for him flowed, steady and validating. Beltrán was smart, beloved; he was a noted clubhouse presence, a sharp candidate, a potential Hall of Famer. The week passed. Then came the friction.
The Athletic’s bombshell report on the 2017 Astros’ sign-stealing dropped on November 12; Beltrán, who had been an outfielder on the team, was named as a person of interest in the investigation on November 13; he tried to modulate the brushback with a breezy read of the disaster on November 14.