Carlos Beltran looks to put Astros’ scandal behind him with new Mets role: ‘I will not use this day to talk about that’

PORT ST. LUCIE — Three years after being fired from the Mets before ever having managed a game, Carlos Beltran is doing the only thing he can do: Moving forward.

A year ago, the nine-time All-Star outfielder went on YES Network and admitted that the 2017 Houston Astros team crossed a line. He said their trash-can banging scheme was wrong and their World Series was tainted.

But Beltran, who was the only player named in the investigation, is no longer looking back at what happened in 2017. He certainly isn’t looking back at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020 when he was hired as the Mets manager and subsequently fired amid fallout from the investigation.

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He spoke with reporters for the first time Wednesday at Clover Park, saying he has a lot to bring to the Mets as a special assistant to general manager Billy Eppler, but one thing he won’t be bringing is controversy.

“That’s something that I talked about, so I will not use this day to talk about that,” Beltran said. “I already talked about that in the past. I did an interview about it and I explained, basically, how I felt about the whole situation. So today is not about the Astros, today is about the Mets.”

Still, it was clear the emotion was there. He’s not naive to the stain it’s left on his legacy. Being out of the game completely was difficult for someone who still feels he can add value to it. It was an abrupt end to a second act that just getting started.

“It was hard because I love the game,” Beltran said. “I love talking baseball. So being away from the game [was difficult], and even though I was doing some TV gigs it’s not the same. Being around the guys and being able to ask them questions like, how are you doing? How do you feel? What are you working on? These are the things that I did, that kind of helped me go through moments in my career.”

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In true Mets fashion, the fallout was bizarre. The accusations took on a life of their own and new conspiracies were spreading like wildfire on social media. Beltran never thought he’d make a return to the Mets.

“No chance,” he said.

But Beltran, who had previously been a special advisor to Eppler’s mentor, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, got a surprise phone call from Eppler while taking his son to baseball practice in Puerto Rico.

Scandal aside, the move makes sense. Eppler lacked a front office voice that had experience playing in the Major Leagues and Beltran has remained a revered figure in Mets’ history. Plus, he has established relationships with top players like Francisco Lindor. Beltran had already been approached by other teams for coaching roles, which didn’t interest him. Making a return to the Mets, where he played from 2005-2011, was meaningful, but the role seemed to be exactly what he was looking for.

“I think this job is gonna allow me to be around prospects and guys that are already at the big league level,” he said. “Being able to play the game for 20 years, there’s no doubt that I have gone through a lot of moments in my career, so I want to, basically, be able to help more than the big league guys because the big league guys all already here, they know how to play the game. I’m talking about the minor league guys, guys in the Dominican Republic in the school. Being able to share with them my experiences, hopefully, I can have an impact and help them continue to develop their careers and be successful at this game.”

Beltran will work on the field and off, aiding coaches, players and front office executives. He’ll also take on new challenges in amateur scouting and player development. It’s a perfect role for someone who loves teaching and mentoring, and also has an interest in learning the front office ropes.

“A large portion of his role is going to be supporting the development side,” Eppler said last week. “I always say that development continues at the Major League level too. You never stop developing, so he’ll contribute on that side. Also, perhaps a little bit of the evaluative side, where I might have him see an amateur hitter two, or three in advance in the draft, or maybe even somebody that we’re thinking about internationally.

“We’ll learn a lot from each other.”

There is still a question of whether or not Beltran wants to manage. He interviewed with the Yankees after the 2017 season but the job went to Aaron Boone. He got the job with the Mets only to lose it a few months later. At the moment, it’s not on his radar, but he won’t quite rule it out.

Beltran isn’t going to let his past dictate his future. He has another shot in baseball and that’s all he needs right now.

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“I move on,” Beltran said. “I move on. Honestly, I felt like that was a moment that it needed to happen and I’ll move on. I went home, reflected on what happened how it happened and that’s it. That’s all you have to do. We grow from moments that are tough.”