Beltrán interested in managing one team: the Mets

HOUSTON -- Former big league outfielder Carlos Beltrán wants to manage the Mets and only the Mets.

Speaking to reporters before Game 2 of the American League Championship Series between the Yankees and Astros at Minute Maid Park, Beltrán, who currently serves as a special advisor with the Yankees, did not specify how far along he is in the interview process with the club but stressed that he’s interested in the job in New York and no other managerial vacancies because he lives in the state and “it’s just the right fit for me.”

“I have to consider it, because at the end of the day, I feel like I played long enough to learn the game and I do feel that I have a lot of things to contribute in the clubhouse,” Beltrán said. “Yes, the experience is not there because I have not done it, but I do believe it’s something that with the opportunity, I can learn.”

Beltrán joins a group of Mets managerial candidates that includes former Marlins and Yankees skipper Joe Girardi and Mike Bell, who is the D-backs' vice president of player development. Beltrán also interviewed for the Yankees’ job in 2017, only a few weeks after winning the World Series with the Astros. In retrospect, he admitted it was too soon.

“I don’t think, the first time around when I was interviewed, I was prepared, meaning that I didn’t think about Spring Training, I didn’t think about trades and I didn’t think about dealing with [the media] every day. I didn’t think about many things,” Beltrán said. “But what I’m saying is that I think I’m ready. If it happens, I’m ready. If it doesn’t, I’ll just continue to stay relevant in the game and continue to work. When another opportunity comes up, analyze it and make a decision, if it makes sense or not.”

Beltrán accepts he doesn't have the managerial experience of other candidates around baseball, but he stressed that he knows what players want from a manager. He’s reached out to Astros manager AJ Hinch, Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Red Sox manager Alex Cora for advice.

“You have to be able to connect the dots and be able to do the connections in the clubhouse and care about the things the players care [about],” he said. “You have to truthful. You have to be a good coach not only with your players, but also be a good coach with your coaching staff."

Beltrán didn’t leave Mets on good terms with ownership, following miscommunication regarding his knee surgery in 2010. Many Mets fans still remember when he struck out looking to end Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series against the Cardinals.

“I don’t think you can continue to progress in life if you think about the past,” Beltrán said. “For me, what happened with the Mets, the ups and downs, The way and the perception and the way the fans thought about me, for me, that was a moment where I was able to turn that page. After 2011, I continued, and I showed people that I was healthy and could play the game. I showed people that maybe the negative things they were saying about me is not who I am as a person.”