Carlos Beltrán? Really, Mets?
After two seasons led by a first-time manager Mickey Callaway, the New York Mets opted for another first-time manager in Carlos Beltrán. Because if at first you don’t succeed, um, try, try again?
The Mets’ choice of Beltrán as Callaway’s replacement is a quizzical one for the Mets fans who remember how the 2006 season ended for the Amazins. Those vexed fans recall that Beltrán struck out looking with the bases loaded, freezing up on an Adam Wainwright curveball.
Looking back, could Beltrán have hit that pitch? In his defense, it wasn’t particularly likely. That Wainwright offering was downright filthy. Could he have hit it without swinging, though? Definitely not. That’s what sticks in many Mets fans’ craw. The team’s best chance of the Beltrán era ended with a frozen take.
So rather than enlisting the services of a seasoned managerial veteran, the NY Mets decided upon Carlos Beltrán, another rookie, and one who reprises pain in Mets fans’ collective heart? Pardon me for a lack of enthusiasm.
Joel Sherman, New York Post baseball columnist, is critical in his own right. As he tells it, the Mets were obsessed with looking for someone more capable of handling the media than Callaway. Before the Mets landed on Beltrán, there were three rounds of interviews, culminating in a face-to-face conversation with majority owner Fred Wilpon about the pressures and responsibilities of being manager. Apparently, Beltrán gave the right answers.
It’s easy for a candidate to say during an interview how he’d deal with difficult situations as an MLB manager. It’s harder to do and say the right thing when faced with the real deal. The Mets’ plan to surround Beltrán with experienced coaches well versed in National League baseball to allow him to establish a working relationship with his players, a presumed strength. Still, there’s ample room for doubt. Sherman writes:
The strategy and the galvanizing of a clubhouse…is more vital than media relations. But Mets ownership has always been sensitive to what is being written and said about its team. Yet, it took a risk here with an unproven commodity. Beltran will be prepped for the press conference, fed the most probable questions that come his way. This will be the easy part.
Because what comes in real time — like a great Adam Wainwright curveball — is not easily anticipated or dealt with.
Nice analogy at the end there, Joel. To suggest Carlos Beltrán is unprepared for this moment would be an overstatement. After all, the man spent roughly two decades in the majors as a player. Moreover, this isn’t the first time he has interviewed for a managerial gig. Beltrán was in the running for the New York Yankees’ managerial post prior to Aaron Boone’s hire and spent time as an adviser to Yanks general manager Brian Cashman this past season.
Nevertheless, Beltrán has never coached at any level. Plenty of other candidates have. The most obvious inclusion on this list is award-winning manager Joe Girardi, whom Boone replaced in the Bronx. Derek Shelton has been a hitting coach for the Indians and Rays, and currently serves as bench coach for the Twins. Eduardo Perez has been a bench coach, first base coach, and a hitting coach on top of being an ESPN analyst.
Certainly, you can’t get experience without first having a job. This is the conundrum of any prospective entrant into the workforce. By the same token, Beltrán’s hire comes on the heels of the dismissal of Mickey Callaway, likewise a novice when he started. His tenure didn’t end well. The Wilpons are essentially taking another roll of the dice with Beltrán. They must feel lucky. Mets fans might not share their enthusiasm.
Sherman insists on Carlos Beltrán’s ability to handle the New York media market as a key component in his hire. On top of this, one might add the name recognition that Beltrán provides. Much in the way GM Brodie Van Wagenen’s tenure began with the acquisition of Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz, Beltrán’s signing is a splashy move designed to garner clicks and generate off-season sports talk radio buzz.
So far, as with Callaway’s tenure, the returns haven’t been tremendous. Canó failed to muster 500 plate appearances last season, finishing with the lowest RBI total (39) of his 15-year career. A season after posting 57 saves and a sub-2.00 ERA, Díaz finished 2019 with less than half that total and an unsightly 5.59 ERA. If not for the pieces already in place, including Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil, the Mets’ new additions could’ve led to a far worse record than their 86 – 76 season Maybe Beltrán can do better with a top-five payroll. On the other hand, maybe that’s asking too much.
If the Mets struggle in 2020, it will put the onus on Beltrán and the Wilpon family. The Phillies’ leadership was ready to move quickly with Joe Girardi, a man with experience and a World Series Championship already to his credit. The Mets were not. Whether that works out in New York’s favor is anyone’s guess at this point.
From a fan’s perspective, while the Amazins possess some impressive talent, they are not without their issues (looking at you, bullpen) and find themselves amid a competitive NL East, the Miami Marlins notwithstanding. And we’ve been burned before. With a nod to this, I wish Carlos Beltrán the best of fortune. He’s going to need it.
-Joe Mangano
