The New York Mets will have an all-time franchise great present with the team on a regular basis this season.
According to Tim Healey of Newsday, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns requested that former All-Star center fielder and current special assistant Carlos Beltran spend regular time around the major league team this season.
Last year, which was Beltran's first season in this role, coming under ex-general manager Billy Eppler, who resigned for violating MLB's policy against manipulating the injured list, the former superstar spent significant time around the organization's minor league affiliates. But Stearns obviously sees his value being maximized around the major league club given he was a great in his day.
Beltran played for the Mets from 2005 until he was traded at the 2011 trade deadline to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for then top prospect starting pitcher Zack Wheeler.
Beltran was hired to be the Mets' manager prior to the 2020 season, but he was fired two months later for his role in the Houston Astros' electronic sign-stealing scandal when he was a player on the team.
After disappearing from the game for three years, Beltran returned to the Mets' organization when Eppler hired him last year as a special assistant.
But beyond Beltran's playing experience, he spent the 2019 season as a special assistant to Yankees GM Brian Cashman before landing the Mets' skipper job, which was short-lived.
Stearns already made an attempt to bring David Wright back to the organization in an unspecified role. But in the very least, they have another franchise great in Beltran, who will be spending plenty of time around the major league club this season.
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