Carlos Beltrán’s No. 15 joined the permanent Citi Field roll call on Saturday, a tribute to the player who delivered some of his finest seasons in a Mets uniform. But as his number took its place near the club’s honored names, the old question around Beltrán came back into the room: could he someday manage the Mets?
The answer remains open. Andy Green is serving as New York’s interim manager and could be in the mix for the permanent job after the season, while Beltrán also figures to draw consideration if he chooses to pursue another chance in the dugout.
Beltrán did not commit either way. “At this moment, I don’t have an answer,” he said when asked about the possibility.
Quick facts
- The Mets retired Beltrán’s No. 15 at Citi Field on Saturday.
- He played 20 Major League seasons, including six and a half with the Mets.
- Beltrán is one of five players in MLB history with at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases.
- He selected No. 15 in honor of his wife Jessica’s birthday.
- Beltrán previously was hired as Mets manager before his departure following the MLB findings on the 2017 Astros sign-stealing operation.
Saturday was built around the accomplishments: the long career, the power-speed combination, the October moments and the standing he holds among Mets greats. Tom Seaver, David Wright and the other franchise icons now have Beltrán alongside them in the ballpark’s retired-number display.
Several Mets Hall of Famers returned for the ceremony, while broadcaster Howie Rose guided the on-field celebration and recounted Beltrán’s career. For Beltrán, the Mets years remain the high point.
“Those were probably my best years in baseball,” he said.
His path with the club has not been a straight line. Three years after ending his playing career, Beltrán was named Mets manager, only to leave before managing a game after the league’s investigation detailed his role in Houston’s 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
He has since worked in television and as part of the Mets’ front office. The passage of time has helped reshape his relationship with a fan base that once had mixed feelings about him, though Beltrán acknowledged how difficult that process can be.
“It’s difficult to build a bond with fans when the message surrounding you is always negative,” Beltrán said.
He said the jump from Kansas City to New York required adjustments he had not needed earlier in his career. The media scrutiny, the daily expectations and the swings of playing in the city all demanded a different kind of preparation.
Beltrán said he was thankful for the experience, noting that he spent 10 of his 20 big-league years in New York. “I think playing in this city made my skin thicker,” he said.
Inside the game, his reputation remains strong. Players view Beltrán as an accomplished voice on hitting, preparation and the demands of winning, with the résumé to support his instruction.
Francisco Lindor, a fellow Puerto Rican and longtime admirer, believes those qualities would travel to a manager’s office. Lindor said Beltrán has the baseball knowledge, instincts and ability to connect with players needed for the job.
“If he chooses to go after it, and the organization believes it is best for the club, I honestly think he would succeed,” Lindor said. “Respect matters, but managing is about understanding the game, making the right decisions at the right moments and relating to players. I think he can do all of that.”
Beltrán said he enjoys his current work and stressed that running a Major League club requires an enormous commitment. He did not rule it out.
“I’m not saying I wouldn’t be willing to make that commitment,” Beltrán said.
He has previously described managing as an item on his career bucket list. This time, though, he kept the focus on Green’s work as interim manager and left open the possibility that, if he does not seek the Mets job now, he could revisit the idea later.
Green sees no limit on what Beltrán could accomplish should he choose that path. “There is nothing in the world I don’t think he could do if that is what he wanted,” Green said. “He has shown again and again that he is going to be successful.”
For one afternoon, the Mets celebrated what Beltrán already did in Queens. Whether No. 15 eventually belongs to a Mets manager as well as a Mets legend is a decision still sitting somewhere down the road.
