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Carlos Beltran is an Astro once again. It feels so long ago that Beltran hit eight playoff home runs to help Houston in their magical 2004 run, as is his departure to the New York Mets the following offseason.
Beltran spoke about that departure in his press conference on Monday — as reported by the CBS Sports Houston:
“The no-trade clause was the one that really pushed me away,” Beltran said Monday citing his desire to return to Houston after his magical 2004 postseason. “The fact that previous ownership wasn’t able to give me that, basically I was forced to move on.”
Moving on to 2016, Beltran understands his role with the Astros as a mentor to a young Astros core. Beltran said to Fox 26’s Mark Berman:
“Honestly, I’m happy to be back,” Beltran said. “Just looking forward to go out there with those young guys and hopefully bring a championship to the city.”
Astros manager A.J. Hinch has stated that the team will work out Beltran in left field and designated hitter. He noted Beltran’s leadership value as well:
#Astros Hinch: "Beltran is one of the most distinguished players that understands the the game, his presence makes our whole roster better."
— MLB Network Radio (@MLBNetworkRadio) December 6, 2016
Now all we have to wait for is Beltran coming out of the dugout in Astros colors again in April.