VIDEO: Alex Cora Talking About Carlos Beltran in Old Clip Sure Sounds Fishy
By Jerry Trotta
While Alex Cora's fate -- at least, from the perspective of managing the Boston Red Sox -- has been sealed in the aftermath of the MLB's punishment for the Houston Astros, the jury is still out on current New York Mets skipper Carlos Beltran. Of course, Cora and Beltran were both instrumental parts of Houston's World Series-winning campaign, and likely of their scheme, and an old clip of the former talking about the latter following the Yankees' sweep of the Red Sox in the London Series this past season will certainly raise some eyebrows. Listen carefully around the 30-second mark.
Here’s video of the Alex Cora soundbite we just played on @WFANmornings. This was following the Yankees’ sweep of Boston in the 2019 London Series. Check out the wink after he brings up Carlos Beltran’s name around :27 and unprovoked usage of the word “devices.” (h/t @Pacmangrig) pic.twitter.com/HgkglIoB7O
— Chris Lopresti (@CLoprestiWFAN) January 15, 2020
Cora tabbed Beltran as the Pinstripes' biggest free agent acquisition, and followed that up with a wink and smug smirk. If that's not sketchy, we don't know what is.
And why exactly did Cora bring up the term "devices" out of the blue? He almost compromised the entire cover-up.
Beltran was named in the league's investigation, and it's largely understood that he played a role in Houston's sign-stealing ventures. However, the MLB ruled that no Astros players would be penalized.
No players were disciplined by Major League Baseball in the Astros' investigation. While Mets manager Carlos Beltran was part of it, he was a player at the time and thus was not suspended.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2020
Discipline for Red Sox manager Alex Cora is coming. It is going to be harsh, per sources.
Who knows what the future holds for Beltran, but it would be impossible to deny that this interview, though innocent when conducted, appears staggeringly dubious after the events that have unfolded this week. Beltran appears to be a sign-swiping genius, for Houston, the Yankees, and potentially his new squad in Flushing, too.