New York Mets to name former outfielder Carlos Beltran as new manager
New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen promised a thorough search for the team's next manager, one that would delve into all types of candidates. So give him this: He was not lying.
The Mets have hired Carlos Beltrán to be the 22nd manager in their history, Paste BN Sports confirmed on Friday. After all the outside discussion about the Mets needing experience — someone who had won elsewhere — Van Wagenen went with a first-time manager to replace Mickey Callaway.
MLB.com's Anthony DiComo was the first to report the news.
This move marks a new era. Not only did Van Wagenen make his first managerial hire as Mets general manager, but this one is quite important. With the roster’s setup, Beltrán seemingly has a win-now mandate. This situation won’t lack for pressure.
The Mets have not made the postseason since 2016. Furthermore, the 2015 World Series appearance might feel like it occurred a decade ago to some fans. Those in Queens are anxious to return to contention.
The organization turns to the 42-year-old Beltrán, a fan-favorite who captured hearts in Queens from 2005-11. Beltrán, who is bilingual, most recently served as the special advisor to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. He doesn’t have prior coaching experience, so Van Wagenen is putting a lot of faith in him.
His best strength may end up being his ability to relate to players. He's only been out of the league for two seasons, and chances are that many of today's players grew up watching Beltrán.
In a career that began in 1998 and ended in 2017, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 career home runs. The outfielder was a nine-time All-Star and won a World Series with Houston in his final season.
When the Mets fired Callaway, outsiders said they needed experience. Pundits speculated that they would heavily consider guys like Joe Girardi, Buck Showalter and Dusty Baker. But Girardi — who appeared to be the only serious candidate with previous MLB managerial experience — took a job with the Phillies.
Along with Beltrán, the Mets considered ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez, Nationals first base coach Tim Bogar, Twins bench coach Derek Shelton, Brewers bench coach Pat Murphy, Triple-A Syracuse skipper Tony DeFrancesco and others.
In 2019, the Mets went on a ferocious run to place themselves in the wild card race, but that probably won’t be acceptable moving forward. As Van Wagenen told reporters right after firing Callaway, not winning the division and finishing a few games back of the second wild card isn’t the standard. Nor should it be, especially with the current group.
The Mets will feature a potentially elite starting rotation coupled with a young core of seemingly talented position players. Last season, Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith surprised. Plus, Amed Rosario appeared to take the next step.
The organization hopes the second-half Mets are the ones that’ll take the field moving forward. That team never seemed out of a game, especially because the starting pitching usually kept the score close if the offense came out sluggish.
What the Mets do next is equally as critical as hiring Beltrán. They must give him a roster that can compete.
The largest priority, as you know by now: The bullpen.
The unit was the culprit for many gut-wrenching losses. The Mets might have made the postseason if the unit could’ve held a few more leads in the first half of the season. Of course, it’s fair to note that many teams had struggling bullpens. But that also might be why it’s so important to have one that’s at least solid.
Beltrán will have different priorities, but the basic ones are applicable to any manager. With a team that seems like it could earn a playoff spot, the relationship-building will be important.
And these days, a manager is as much an ambassador as anything else. He must be respected around the game because he represents the organization. Social media’s rise makes it even more crucial because many fans connect with the team in ways they never had before.
When the Mets hired Van Wagenen, it seemed Callaway had to prove himself in a big way or he would be gone. That’s often the way things occur in sports. Executives like to make their own hires.
Van Wagenen just had his chance. His name will be attached to the Beltrán hire. But it’s reasonable to believe he feels good about it considering the Mets took a month to find their guy.
Email: toscanoj@northjersey.com Twitter: @justinctoscano