Carlos Beltran received a warm round of applause when he stepped to the plate in the ninth inning of the Mets’ 6-2 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday. Some fans at Citi Field even stood.
After hitting a lazy flyball for the second out, there was another smattering of cheers as Beltran walked back to the dugout with his head down.
If this was Beltran’s last home game as a member of the Mets — and there’s a very good chance it was — it seemed an appropriate farewell for an All-Star player who was never truly embraced by the home fans.
Beltran went 0-for-3 with a walk as the Mets were shut down by Jake Westbrook.
“I heard the fans cheering,” Beltran said. “It was great. Let’s hope I can come back.”
That appears unlikely.
The slugging outfielder is in the last year of a seven-year contract and there has been seemingly endless speculation about trading him before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The Mets won’t return to Citi Field until Aug. 1.
“Right now, he’s hitting third tomorrow in Miami,” Mets manager Terry Collins said.
Though Beltran hasn’t always been the most popular player with fans — many never being able to completely forgive him for striking out looking to end the 2006 NLCS against the Cardinals — he’s given the team good production for its money. After signing as a free agent, he made the All-Star team five times with the Mets and hit 149 homers, despite missing much of the previous two seasons with knee injuries.
“I’ve always had a good relation with the fans,” he said. “I’m just here to play the game of baseball, and also the fans relate to some players better than others, but I have no issues with the fans.”
The 34-year-old voluntarily moved from center field to right this season, but otherwise has gone back to being one of the National League’s top hitters. He has 15 homers, 61 RBIs and an NL-leading 30 doubles, making him the most attractive hitter on the market.