Last week, YES Network announced that Carlos Beltran was being added to the roster of analysts for New York Yankees telecasts. The former Yankees slugger is expected to call 36 games, making up for David Cone’s decreased workload after joining ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball crew.
More than calling games for his former team and taking a broadcast gig that has been a springboard to national baseball broadcasts, Beltran working for YES is being viewed in some circles as an attempt to redeem his reputation.
The veteran outfielder was considered the “ringleader” of the 2017 Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme in Major League Baseball’s investigation. That association with one of baseball’s worst cheating scandals in decades resulted in Beltran being fired as New York Mets manager before he could begin the 2020 season.
According to the New York Post‘s Ken Davidoff, the Yankees aren’t requiring Beltran to address the sign-stealing scandal as a condition of the job. But in the columnist’s view, YES could be missing out on an opportunity for some media goodwill and potential TV ratings.
What if Beltran held a press conference before spring training to answer questions from reporters about his role in the Astros’ scandal? What if YES aired a special with Beltran answering questions from one of the network’s reporters, like Jack Curry? That could presumably settle any concerns or quiet down any snark viewers might have about Beltran’s analysis.
If the Yankees end up signing free-agent shortstop Carlos Correa — who was a protégé of Beltran’s on that 2017 Astros team — after the MLB lockout ends, the matter will already have been addressed. Correa would still face questions about the sign-stealing, of course, since Houston defeated the Yankees in the 2017 American League Championship Series. But Beltran Could give Correa something to lean on.
Then there’s the larger-picture reason that Beltran may want to answer questions about the 2017 sign-stealing scandal. He’ll be on the 2023 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. With a .270 career avearge, .837 OPS, 2m725 hits, 435 home runs, 1,587 RBI, and 312 stolen bases, Beltran presents a strong case for election, especially in a year when no other first-timers stand out while Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are no longer on the ballot.
As Davidoff points out, Beltran stands to benefit by talking about the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal far more than he would suffer. Rip off the Band-Aid quickly and move on.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
