Mets: Who really is responsible for Carlos Beltran’s ouster?

The Mets Organization

And last, but not least, we come to the Mets organization. Between Fred and Jeff Wilpon, Brodie Van Wagenen, and even Jessica Mendoza, the Mets organization completely bungled the situation with Beltran.

Van Wagenen insisted that the Mets heard the news about Astrogate from The Athletic, and while one can be skeptical as to whether or not it’s true, let’s play devil’s advocate and assume he was right. As the scandal grew far-reaching and ultimately was laid at Beltran’s feet, one had to wonder why the Mets didn’t immediately come to his defense?

Even if Wilpon or Van Wagenen had said something along the lines of “We are aware of the allegations concerning Beltran in Houston, however, we believe that they will not have any major bearing on him managing the Mets.” Instead, after a deliberative process the Wilpons and Van Wagenen, citing public perception and organizational integrity, let Beltran go.

The amount of hypocrisy in this is deafening. Keep in mind, this is the same Mets organization that fired an employee for having a child out of wedlock. This is the same organization whose owners were found guilty of knowingly defrauding investors in the Madoff Ponzi scheme. These are the same owners that have used the Mets as a means to pay off their debts to their creditors at the expense of the on-field product.

For the organization to suddenly care about public perception and integrity is incredibly disingenuous. Let’s remember that the “Fire Beltran” narrative came from the media, not the fanbase. Public mistrust in journalism further adds to the case that the Mets organization should not have fed the media’s bloodlust. However, Fred Wilpon values journalists and social opinions more than his paying customers.

In the end, LOLMets or That’s so Mets was going to happen either way. Keep Beltran, the narrative that the Mets didn’t care about the integrity of the game and hired a known cheater and liar persists, creating a distraction. Let Beltran go, the organization is perceived as spineless and willing to capitulate to media demands. There was no way the team was going to leave this cleanly, so for them to react the way they did was an absolute mishandling on their part.

So, who is to blame?

Ultimately, no one entity is entirely to blame. Major League Baseball and Rob Manfred should be lambasted by the Mets organization for putting them in a tough position, the Mets should be eviscerated for being incredibly hypocritical and weak-willed, the media should be criticized for creating a toxic narrative, and Beltran should be blamed for being a complete idiot.

Regardless of who you feel is deserving of the most blame, it boils down to one simple point: This should have never happened. Everyone involved should be ashamed of how much this has escalated and gotten completely out of control.

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If you’re a Mets fan, you have every right to be angry.