Lindor: Beltrán 'a huge asset' in Mets' clubhouse

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- At home this winter, Carlos Beltrán fielded calls from multiple teams looking to hire him as a uniformed staff member. He said no to all of them, preferring his role as an analyst at the YES Network over some ambiguous future on the field. But then the Mets -- the team that hired Beltrán as manager in November 2019 only to move on from him 2 1/2 months later after news broke regarding his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing episode -- came calling.

Asked Wednesday if he envisioned his next job in baseball coming with the Mets, Beltrán replied immediately: “No chance.”

But there was Beltrán in the Clover Park dugout, sporting a bright orange polo and looking for all the world like he could still roam center field. Several weeks ago, the Mets hired Beltrán to become a special assistant to general manager Billy Eppler, whom he has known for nearly a decade. In that role, Beltrán intends to help younger players develop, while also serving as a scout, a sounding board for Eppler and a liaison between the front office and the clubhouse.

As for his 76-day history as New York’s manager, Beltrán is beyond it.

“I’ve moved on, honestly,” Beltrán said. “I felt like that was a moment that needed to happen. And I’ve moved on.”

When the Mets parted ways with Beltrán in January 2020 mere weeks before the start of Spring Training, he returned home to Puerto Rico and “reflected on what happened” before plotting his next moves. As the only '17 Astros player named in Major League Baseball’s report on the sign-stealing episode, Beltrán found himself in a unique position. The league had not suspended him, as it did Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch. But Beltrán’s managerial career had nonetheless dissolved.

For the next two years, Beltrán laid low, until the YES Network offered him a job broadcasting Yankees games. That gig, Beltrán said, kept him visible enough in the baseball universe that other teams began to call again, interested in the expertise of a nine-time All-Star -- one who if not for the sign-stealing connection might have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. (Beltrán appeared on 46.5% of ballots last month in his first time on the ballot. He has nine more years to gain election.)

But it was Eppler’s offer that stood out. Since Beltrán left his managerial post, the front office and ownership groups have turned over. The new GM is someone Beltrán has known for nearly a decade, and he was dangling a front-office role that appealed to Beltrán’s baseball sensibilities. More than that, Beltrán still feels as deep a connection to the Mets as to any big league team, considering his seven-year run in Queens that included five All-Star teams and made him a fan favorite of many.

“When this opportunity came, it was a no-brainer for me to say yes, to be back, to be around,” Beltrán said. “This organization is part of who I am.”

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, one of Beltrán’s countrymen, called Beltrán “a huge asset” for his ability to translate the language of front-office executives. Moreover, Beltrán’s status as one of his generation’s best hitters commands instant respect in a clubhouse.

“He’s someone that the game needs,” Lindor said.

What ultimately comes of this opportunity remains to be seen. Asked if he would still like to be a Major League manager, the 45-year-old Beltrán replied that he’s focused on his current job but “you can never say no.” The Mets currently employ a 66-year-old manager in Buck Showalter, who conceivably won’t remain in the job forever. For Beltrán, an apprenticeship under Eppler and Showalter could reopen the door that briefly opened to him back in 2019. It could also create opportunities elsewhere.

For now, Beltrán is hoping to make what impact he can on a talented Mets team seeking every edge it can find.

“At this point, I’m thinking about what I have to do for the organization, and what are the things that Billy wants me to do for him and for the team?” Beltrán said. “You can never say no when you love the game and you love being around guys and you can impact players and make players’ careers better. At this point, I’m OK where I am. But later on, I don’t know.”