Last week, the New York Mets fired manager Mickey Callaway after two seasons at the helm. Callaway, a first-time skipper, had endured many growing pains during his time in charge. He'd become known as a reliable source of gaffes -- at times giving explanations that were not consistent with others' accounts of trivial details, and during the summer he incited an altercation with a reporter for which he had to be cajoled into apologizing.
The rule of thumb in sports is that teams will often hire the exact opposite of whomever they just fired. Were that true, the Mets would hire an experienced manager with a low profile and an even keen. That may come to pass, but one of the names that has surfaced in connection with the gig belongs to another potential rookie manager: franchise legend Carlos Beltran.
According to Andy Martino of SNY.tv, Mets officials are "doing background work" on Beltran, "trying to determine if he is ready to be a manager." Per Martino, the Mets have not yet requested permission to interview Beltran, who holds a position in the Yankees' front office.
Beltran, 42, retired after the 2017 season, capping a 20-year career. He finished with a .279/.350/.486 line to go with 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases. He won three Gold Glove Awards and made nine All-Star Games, accumulating nearly 70 Wins Above Replacement.
Beltran is well regarded around the game for his baseball acumen and leadership skills. He was responsible for alerting James Paxton that he was tipping pitches earlier this season, and was fingered as potentially being the Houston Astros player who noticed Yu Darvish was tipping back during the 2017 World Series. The Yankees considered him for their open managerial post that fall.
It is worth noting that Beltran's nearly seven-year stint with the Mets as a player had some rocky moments, particularly when he opted against the team's wishes to undergo knee surgery in 2010. Martino's sources suggest there are no lingering hard feelings over that decision.
