On Monday, Carlos Beltran announced his retirement following a prosperous 20-year career that saw him make nine all-star teams and put forth a Hall of Fame consideration-worthy effort.
Beltran's playing days are over, but don't be surprised if he returns to the dugout in the coming year in a different role. That's because Beltran is interested in managing, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com:
"At some point in my career, I would love to have the opportunity to manage," Beltran told MLB.com in his first interview since announcing his retirement. "With the experience that I have in the game of baseball, the times I've played, different teams that I've played for, I've gotten to see different ways to do things in the clubhouse and for the players. How to motivate them, how to impact them in a way where they continue to improve. I would love that opportunity, for sure."
Feinsand makes the connection between Beltran and the New York Yankees, the only team in baseball without a manager. Though that fit seems outlandish at first blush, it makes sense on some levels. In his retirement announcement, Beltran wrote at length about the importance of mentoring young players. Feinsand notes in his piece that Beltran has become more in tune with analytics in recent years, and even served as the middle man between the Houston Astros front office and their younger players.
There's no telling if the Yankees will express interest in Beltran as a manager -- GM Brian Cashman has stated candidates needn't have past experience to be considered -- but give Feinsand this much: It's a fun idea to think about.
