MLB Roundup 1/17: Carlos Beltrán era ends before it begins

Carlos Beltrán out as Mets manager

A third manager is out of a job due to his involvement in the 2017 Astros sign-stealing mess. A.J. Hinch was fired after receiving a one-year suspension, then Alex Cora left before he got his official punishment. Carlos Beltrán, a player at the time, didn’t get a punishment, but he didn’t escape with his job. After being hired earlier in the offseason, he will not actually manage a game for the Mets. He is out the door in New York in what the team is calling a mutual parting, just as it happened with Cora and the Red Sox. I’m sort of conflicted on this one as Beltrán wasn’t punished by the league by this, but also he was named in the report. Ultimately I think the heat was just too much that the Mets didn’t really have another choice. I will say, and maybe I’m way off-base here, but Beltrán seems less toxic in terms of future job prospects compared to Hinch and Cora.

Sox Spin: Another competitor for managerial candidates enters the fray. Finding a manager this late in the game is complicated enough, adding two other teams potentially competing for the same names only makes it more complex. What a weird, weird offseason.

Giants sign Drew Smyly

Yesterday was a wild day in baseball — there were a lot of accusations being thrown around that are not solid enough to be mentioned in this space, but also not too difficult to find — and hidden in all the madness were two major-league signings. One was in San Francisco where the Giants signed Drew Smyly to a one-year deal. He’ll make $4 million with some incentives to bump that up. The lefty is likely to fill one of the back-end spots in the Giants rotation. Red Sox fans should be somewhat familiar with Smyly, as he was not only with the Rays but also was part of that 2013 Tigers team, pitching out of the bullpen at that point. Early in his career he looked like he was going to have a long and very solid carer, but injuries derailed that trajectory.

Sox Spin: The David Price trade rumors have slowed down, but once again the possible replacements are becoming harder to find if those talks pick back up.

Braves sign Adeinys Hechavarría

No offense to Hechavarría, but there’s not a ton to say here. He got a one-year deal worth $1 million, going back to Atlanta where he finished last season. The Braves missed out on Josh Donaldson, and it seems they are shifting their focus to the outfield and will use Hechavarría as depth.

Sox Spin: Nothing here, really.