Beltran opens up about Astros' sign-stealing: 'We did cross the line'

Carlos Beltran believes the Houston Astros went too far in 2017 when they illegally stole signs through the use of electronics en route to a World Series championship.

"Looking back now, yes, we did cross the line," Beltran told YES Network's Michael Kay in an upcoming interview, courtesy of The New York Times' James Wagner.

"We all did what we did. Looking back today, we were wrong. I wish I would have asked more questions about what we were doing. I wish the organization would have said to us, 'Hey man, what you guys are doing, we need to stop this.'"

Beltran was the only player directly named in an MLB investigatory report that looked into the Astros' illegal sign stealing after pitcher Mike Fiers spoke publicly about the issue following his tenure with the team.

Results from the investigation led to one-year suspensions for former manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, who the team subsequently fired.

Former Astros bench coach Alex Cora, who was managing the Boston Red Sox when the league revealed the results, was also suspended for one year, and Beltran lost an opportunity to lead the New York Mets, with the club firing him before he ever managed a game.

"The part that bothered me about that (the investigation) is that, you know, when I sit down to cooperate with them (MLB), they said to me, 'We're not going against the players. We're going against ... field personnel, front office, and organization.'

"And the fact that I'm the only player named in that report? So how ... that happen? Like that's the part that I don't understand. Everyone gets immunity except Carlos Beltran. I don't get it."

In the interview, Beltran also said Houston did not stop stealing signs following a directive from MLB because the players were never notified of these instructions.

"Well, if they (the Astros front office) got the letter (from MLB), they knew, but they never shared it with us. Nobody said anything to us, you know, nobody said anything.

"I wish somebody would have said something. A lot of people always ask me why you didn't stop it. And my answer is, I didn't stop it the same way no one stopped it. This is working for us. Why you gonna stop something that is working for you? So, if the organization would have said something to us, we would have stopped it for sure."

Beltran retired from playing following Houston's World Series win in 2017. He's currently employed as a television analyst with YES Network.