Beltran Trade Closes Another Mets Chapter

Carlos Beltran is headed to San Francisco. He'll do well there and I wish him the best, but his departure is the end of a particular era in Mets history. And come to think about it, it signals the start of another.

With the signing of Beltran 7 years ago, the Mets became relevant players again. He opened the door for some signings of other players like Carlos Delgado and Pedro Martinez. He was the start of the Mets attempt to buy a championship team.

There's no arguing that Beltran is the best center fielder to ever put on a Mets uniform, but you'd also be hard pressed to find as unloveable a superstar. One pitch will define his career as a Met for those who lived through it. Younger and future fans will look back on his stats and see just how amazing his career was, but those who saw it firsthand will be plagued with what could have been.

The Beltran trade is also the official beginning of the Sandy Alderson era. The name, Omar Minaya, is now officially forgotten as the bulk of his players have now left the Big Apple. So Alderson is establishing himself at the helm of this Mets franchise. No one said the Mets would be able to get the prospect they wanted, but Alderson did. Gone are the days of overpaying for mediocre players or not thinking about long term implications when making a mid-season trade. Here come the days of sound, rational thinking with a goal in mind.

Those days haven't been seen here in a while, and  I welcome them.

I wish Beltran success and I have a lingering feeling we are going to see him go on a tare a la his short stint with the Astros. Don't fret Mets fans. We must not sacrifice the future on the alter of the immediate. Words Minaya never understood, but Alderson appears to live by.