Carlos Beltran approached the plate in the ninth inning Thursday to the familiar fanfare of David Y Abraham’s “El Esta Aqui” and a hearty ovation from about half of the 20,000 sweaty fans left in Citi Field.

Beltran fouled Mitchell Boggs’ first pitch back, and the crowd booed when a man with a glove in the first row of the second deck mishandled the ball and let it drop to the seats below.

He laid off Boggs’ next offering, a low fastball.

“Imagine he strikes out looking!” said someone in the press box.

Beltran lifted the next pitch to left field. Matt Holliday took a couple of steps back, then charged forward. The outfielder steadied himself under the ball, collected it, and retired Beltran.

As the best center fielder in Mets’ history jogged off the field, a few fans behind the dugout stood and applauded. He stepped down the stairs to the Mets bench and pulled off his batting gloves and helmet.

Ten minutes later, Terry Collins spoke to reporters in the Citi Field media room.

“I deal in reality,” he said. “I know it’s news, I know it’s talked about, I know it may happen…. Right now, he’s hitting third tomorrow in Miami.”

Reporters gathered around Beltran’s locker as one by one his teammates emerged from back rooms of the clubhouse and changed into Hawaiian shirts for the trip to Florida. They separated into small clutches and talked about old colleagues and dream jobs as they waited.

Finally Beltran appeared, in workout attire. The crowd broke to let him pass. He walked to his locker, looked into it briefly, then turned, paused, and began answering the same series of questions he answers every night.

“Honestly, I’m not thinking about that, man,” he said. “I’m focused on playing games.”

“I gave everything I have for this organization. I have no regrets.”

“All that we have here are rumors.”

Indeed. I’ll hold off on the requiems until the man is actually traded.