Former New York Met, Carlos Beltran, will step foot in Citi Field this evening with his new team, as the Mets face the St. Louis Cardinals. After putting up strong numbers in his earlier years with the Mets, fans should get on their feet when Beltran is announced and applaud him, not necessarily for his numbers, but for what they got in return.
Beltran was sent to the San Francisco Giants last year, after proving that he could be a decent player despite having previous injuries.
Beltran experienced knee issues in the 2009 and 2010 season. He took time off in the beginning of the 2010 season to get an operation, insuring he would have a playing career in the future.
He returned in July and did not post impressive numbers. In 2011 however, he had a rejuvenated season. In 98 games with the Mets, Beltran hit .289 with 15 homeruns and 66 RBI.
The San Francisco Giants, who were desperate for run producers, were impressed enough to go after Beltran.
The New York Mets wisely accepted to ship Beltran and the main man in the return deal was Giants' top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler is currently with the Binghamton Mets, the Double-A affiliate of the Mets, and has been unhittable.
He is 5-2 in nine starts so far with a 1.88 ERA. Wheeler has 60 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched, which is good for a 10.3 K/9 ratio.
Wheeler is only 22-years old, meaning he can still get better. He has proven he is a strikeout pitcher, posting 10+ K/9 ratios in every one of his stops in the Minors.
So rather than jeering Beltran, Mets fans should be happy for him. Yeah, he struck out looking in 2006 and ended their chances of making it to the World Series, but that should be left in the past.
They should remember the great seasons he put together as a Met, but thank him even more for getting the team their present No.1 prospect, 25th overall prospect in the Majors.
