Veteran outfielder with brief SF Giants stint not among 3 players to be elected to Hall of Fame

Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton were announced as the three players to be elected to the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. However, veteran outfielder Carlos Beltrán, who had a brief stint with the SF Giants in 2011, did not make the cut.

Veteran outfielder with brief SF Giants stint not among 3 players to be elected to Hall of Fame

Players need to appear on 75 percent of the ballots to be inducted. Beltré was included on 95.1 percent of the ballots, whereas both Mauer and Helton came in just over the 75-percent threshold.

Unfortunately, Billy Wagner (73.8 percent) narrowly missed that mark in his ninth turn on the ballot. The longtime closer will likely get a push on his final ballot as is often the case with players entering their final year. That should be enough to get him into the Hall of Fame as he only missed by five votes.

However, Gary Sheffield failed to reach 75 percent in his 10th and final turn. There is a chance that he gets elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee the next time they vote, so the door is not completely shut.

Meanwhile, Beltrán's chances of eventual induction are promising. The switch-hitting outfielder appeared on 46.5 percent of the ballots last year but that number increased up to 57.1 percent this time around.

Of course, the former outfielder had a brief stint with the Giants. San Francisco acquired him at the 2011 trade deadline from the New York Mets in exchange for Zack Wheeler. That trade continues to be hotly debated to this day.

However, Beltrán posted a .920 OPS with seven home runs in 179 plate appearances following the move. He did spend some time on the injured list, which was one of the concerns prior to the trade. The purpose of the deal was to give the Giants enough offense to reach the playoffs and let the pitching staff carry them through the playoffs. That did not come to fruition as the Giants missed the playoffs and the 46-year-old departed via free agency. Though, Beltrán held up his end of the bargain.

There is no question that Beltrán's numbers are strong enough to reach the Hall of Fame. That said, his name was heavily connected to the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal in 2017. He was hired to become the manager of the Mets following the 2019 season but was fired before he ever managed a game due to his role in that scandal.

If he gets elected to the Hall of Fame, this will reveal hypocrisy on the part of the voters. For years, Barry Bonds was denied entry into the Hall of Fame for his role in the PED scandal of the 2000's. They deemed that he cheated the game, so I struggle to understand where the line is here? If a player cheats, they cannot enter the Hall of Fame. That is not my opinion. That was the precedent set by the voters. And, it goes without saying that there is at least one player in the Hall of Fame with PED ties, so it is a precedent that the writers selectively apply. I think fans just want consistency and there is not enough with the voters.

Anyways, Beltrán should get in the the Hall of Fame in the next few years. His numbers warrant induction and there is no denying that.