Who could possibly blame Mets OF Carlos Beltran for obtaining advice other than that of the Amazingly Inept medical crew and having what’s being called “minor” arthroscopic knee surgery earlier today? Well, for starters, his employers, who might just consider Beltran’s initiative a material breach of contract, as the New York Post’s Joel Sherman explains (link courtesy Metsblog) :
A person familiar with the situation told the Post that the Commissioners Office and the Players Association have been alerted that œthe Mets are claiming this was done without clearance and that the Mets are threatening to take some form of action. There is a potential issue out there.
This is not a unique occurrence; players and teams have disputes about the proper course of medical action all of the time, and the two sides usually come to some kind of understanding without an attempt at legal actions or fines. And the likelihood is that there is not much the Mets could do for two reasons, a person who has worked on these kind of issues said:
1) The Mets were not in the dark on any of this. According to a friend of Beltran, Beltran was under Dr. David Altchek™s care from October through December. It was only in December when he could not perform that Beltran went to see Steadman. And the friend said Mets doctors and trainers were kept abreast of the diagnosis in Colorado, even if the Mets did not agree with the remedy.
2) Beltran’s personal physician, Dr. Richard Steadman is a reputable surgeon who has been involved for a long time in doing procedures on athletes across the sports spectrum. The Mets, according to one official, might have a greater case for a grievance if Beltran had gone to another country and/or to a less reputable doctor.
I could see something like the Mets cutting Beltran to save some cash and then signing Johnny Damon….and finishing dead last in the NL East.
It’s things like this that make me glad I live in Austin and thus I don’t even have to debate how many games to go to. I’m positive that the answer this year will be “zero”.
I’m hopeful that by next decade the Mets won’t be such a pathetic comedy act. Until then, it’s hard to imagine spending money on tickets.
If Beltran does stick around, he might be rehabbing in time for the start of the Cyclones season. Got to see him at Keyspan last year. Will this be an annual occurrence?