Carlos Beltrán Declines Cubs Interview Request, Only Wants Mets Job
The Cubs have already interviewed four managerial candidates and still had two more on their list, but one of those has apparently removed himself from consideration. Carlos Beltrán, who is currently serving as a special assistant in the Yankees front office, is not interested in talking with either the Cubs or Padres. As he told the media prior to Game 2 of the ALCS, he is only aiming for the Mets job.
Carlos Beltran said the Padres and Cubs want to interview him for manager job, but he isn’t going to take the meetings. He only wants the Mets job. “I’m ready,” he said.
— Anthony Rieber (@AnthonyRieber) October 13, 2019
Beltrán has only been retired for two seasons and actually interviewed for the Yankees’ managerial opening shortly after retiring. Though he lacks any practical coaching experience, he believes his lengthy MLB career and strong leadership skills make him more than qualified to manage a team.
“This time around, I feel like I’m more prepared,” Beltrán told Andy Martino of SNY. “By working in the front office with the Yankees, being able to see where baseball is going, being able to see…the value that information has on players and how you can make good decisions to put the guys out there in a position to be successful.
“I do feel I’m in a good position. I know the experience as a manager is not there, but I played 20 years in baseball so I got to be able to be proactive in the clubhouse, dealing with situations in the clubhouse, being able to work on how important chemistry is in the clubhouse.”
That sounds like exactly the kind of person the Cubs are looking for, by which I mean someone who espouses the concepts Beltrán is conveying. It’s all about being able to understand the bigger picture and how information can aid decision-making while also being aware of the very real human element of the game.
“Think about if you’re trying to do an investment decision,” Beltrán explained when asked about how being in the front office has helped him. “You want to have information to make sure you make a good decision. So this is the same thing, analytics is the same.
“A lot of times I don’t like to call it ‘analytics,’ I like to call it ‘information.’ And the players also, when they hear that word, they’re more receptive to receive that information to understand what are they doing right, what are they doing wrong, and make adjustments.”
If Beltrán indeed wants to remain in New York one way or the other, he may really need to bowl the Mets over. Though he’s got plenty of cachet from his time in Queens as a player, Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote recently that “someone will have to decisively win the interview process for the Mets’ first choice not to be Girardi.”
Based on nothing more than that snippet of his live interview with SNY, I’d say Beltrán has a chance to do just that. Girardi is also said to be high on the Phillies’ list after parting with Gabe Kapler, and that seems like a much better situation on the whole than putting on a Mets uniform.
In any case, this means that the Cubs apparently have only Astros bench coach Joe Espada left to interview. Unless, of course, some other candidates are added between now and whenever the Astros finish their playoff run.