New York Mets: A look at the top managerial options

Joe Girardi

Wouldn’t New York Mets Nation love to see Carlos Beltran lift a World Series trophy in Queens? He can make everyone forget about that one at-bat many years ago.

Beltran is reportedly only interested in the position with New York. He has turned down other interview requests including the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies. The 20 year MLB veteran played in Queens for seven of those seasons, mostly under general manager Omar Minaya.

Minaya still has a role in the New York Mets front office as an assistant to general manager Van Wagenen. This familiarity could give Beltran an edge over the other candidates. Minaya can vouch for what he brings to the table as he witnessed the Beltran’s locker room leadership qualities firsthand.

A former nine-time All-Star, Beltran has no managerial experience at any level of baseball which should be a big concern for the Mets. No one knows how long it would take him to fit into the role. This is a team that doesn’t want to wait to win which is a strike against him.

However, first-time managers have had lots of success recently. For example, Alex Cora won a World Series title with the Boston Red Sox in his first season with the club. Similar to Cora, Beltran would instantly gain respect from the players on the team for his playing career and respect for the game.