Had Carlos Beltran known he was going to be ridiculed by the Mets he might have changed his mind following the 2004 season and signed with the Yankees instead.
Beltran finally put on the Yankees jersey he’s longed to wear Friday when he was officially introduced at a Yankee Stadium press conference where he wore No. 36.
The switch-hitting outfielder evolved into one of the best players in Mets history even if many can’t forgive him for taking a called third strike to end Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. And he can’t forgive the Mets for how they treated him at the end of his stay in Queens.
“It comes down to that and it also comes down to, maybe I wouldn’t call it controversy, about Walter Reed and the knee [surgery],’’ said Beltran, who was heavily criticized for missing a 2010 team outing to Walter Reed hospital and had a miscommunication flap with the Mets about having knee surgery after the 2009 season.
Beltran felt the criticism from the Mets’ front office was personal and wrong.
“The situation they tried to put me in, that I was a bad apple,” Beltran said. “I can deal with 0-for-4s, three strikeouts and talking to you guys, I can deal with that. But when somebody is trying to hurt you in a personal way and put things out there that aren’t me, then we have trouble. Now it’s personal.
“At that point when they say all that, of course, I was hurt. You cannot believe that an organization that signed you for seven years will try to put you down. They not only hurt me, they hurt my family and people around me.’’
The Mets put out a statement later Friday that read: “Statistics speak for themselves. Carlos Beltran was one of the best outfielders in Mets history. We wish him well.’’
Beltran signed a seven-year deal worth $119 million with the Mets after meeting The Boss following the 2004 season as a free agent. Yet, the timing wasn’t right for the Yankees to bring Beltran to The Bronx to play for the team he grew up in Puerto Rico rooting for as a fan of another switch-hitting center fielder: Bernie Williams.
“It was a long time. I remember I met (George) Steinbrenner in Tampa,’’ Beltran recalled. “They were having issues with the salary cap and they couldn’t commit to the years I was looking for. At the end of the day I did what was best for my family. They signed Randy Johnson and I ended up with the Mets.’’
He was dealt to the Giants for the final months of the 2011 season then signed a two-year deal for $26 million before the 2012 season with the Cardinals, whom he helped get to this past season’s World Series against the Red Sox.
Beltran, 36, who will play right field and DH, signed a three-year deal for $45 million to put on the pinstripes.
Had he said yes to a shorter deal before the 2005 season, the Yankees would have had Beltran in the prime of his career, not the twilight. Brian Cashman understood at the time that the Yankees had an elite player in front of them in Beltran who might take less money, but …
“He was one of the game’s great players, but at that moment in time the timing was bad,’’ said Cashman, who had Williams still patrolling center.
This time, Cashman didn’t hesitate to land Beltran, calling his agent shortly after Robinson Cano bolted for Seattle and $240 million. He wasn’t scared off by Beltran having had two right knee operations and one on the left hinge.
“Carlos is someone who always wanted to be a Yankee. We have discussed the possibility of bringing him in here,’’ Cashman said. “Carlos’ strengths will clearly provide Joe Girardi a lot of flexibility in the lineup.’’
And if that lineup gets to play in October, chances are good Beltran won’t wilt. He is a career .333 hitter with 16 homers and 40 RBIs in 51 postseason games.