Anthony DiComo of MLB.com hears from a source that the New York Mets plan to make Carlos Beltrán their new manager.
Earlier today we heard that the job was either going to to him or to Eduardo Pérez, but apparent Fred Wilpon -- the final decision maker -- gave the nod to the man who played center field for the Mets between 2005 and 2011.
Beltrán has spent the past two seasons since he retired as a special assistant for the Yankees. He has made no secret of his desire to manage, however, and was interviewed by the Yankees before they hired Aaron Boone following the 2017 season. Beltrán had just retired as a player then, however, so it seemed like both he and the Yankees felt like he needed a little time first. Now he’s had that time and now, it seems, he’s going to lead the Mets into the 2020 season.
The Mets fired Mickey Callaway following a strange but, ultimately, promising 2019 season. The club struggled mightily in the first half but then caught fire in July and August, thrusting themselves into the playoff picture. Though they fell short, the emergence of young talents like sure-thing Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto and the continued excellent pitching of Jacob deGrom pushed the Mets to 86 wins on the season. The team would appear to be but a few moves away from true contention with this current core. And, given that Callaway often seemed more than a bit befuddled at the helm in his first big league manager job, a new skipper will obviously help.
Beltrán obviously has no managerial experience, but he has long been spoken of by those inside the game as future managerial material. The future, it seems, is now.