CARLOS CAN TEACH METS
Bringing in Beltran an Amazin’ move for player development
Carlos Beltran is moving into a front office role with the Mets this season and while that role is still unknown, moving from the broadcast booth to a club role is a solid get for the Mets and a positive indicator for a player that was exiled after the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
The 45-year-old Puerto Rican loves to teach and mentor. Those who knew him as a player say he could often be found in the film room with younger players, especially younger Spanish-speaking players, holding informal sessions to brief them on pitchers he was familiar with and their tendencies. A 20-year veteran who played for the Mets and the Yankees, it went beyond working with younger teammates. Beltran opened a baseball academy in 2011 and has turned it into a prestigious high school program.
So it was only natural when he threw his hat into the ring for the Mets’ managerial position in the winter of 2020. However, we all know what happened next and his management career was over before it even started, with the Mets firing him before he even managed a game.
But that was before Steve Cohen bought the team from the Wilpon family. Cohen and his wife Alex have made a concerted effort to repair fractured relationships with former players and their actions have not gone unnoticed.
Beltran was once considered the most significant free agent acquisition in club history until recently. His 31.1 bWAR ranks third among Mets position players, trailing only David Wright and Darryl Strawberry. He was a five-time All-Star in Queens and came in fourth in MVP voting in 2006, the same year he struck out looking to end the NLCS. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2011 for Zack Wheeler.
He spent last season as a commentator in the YES Network booth. He received positive reviews for his broadcast work. Still, questions about whether or not he would return to baseball in some sort of coaching or front office capacity persisted with A.J. Hinch and Alex Cora both managing once again.
The Mets had a need in their front office for someone with playing experience. General manager Billy Eppler pitched in college but started working in front offices soon after — including the Yankees front office, which coincided with Beltran’s time in pinstripes.
This is a perfect fit for a beloved franchise icon. Beltran has maintained relationships with Francisco Lindor and Edwin Diaz, with Lindor telling SNY’s Andy
Martino that the former outfield star acted as a sounding board for him during his dismal 2021 campaign.
Every front office needs former players to provide insight to the executives who may not have played professionally and to help players understand how to apply analytics. Beltran worked closely with scouts and analysts in Houston and was an avid consumer of the information provided.
We can’t deny that the sign-stealing fiasco tainted Beltran’s image. In true Mets fashion, he was fired after a bizarre few days. Rumors about the extent of the cheating and the personnel involved spread like wildfire and when the investigation came to a conclusion, Beltran was directly implicated as the only player named. It may have impacted his Hall of Fame candidacy, as he recently came up short on his first go-around on the ballot.
NEW VOICES IN BOOTH
Howie Rose is getting two new teammates in the radio booth. Keith Raad and Pat McCarthy will join the legendary radio voice, WCBS 880 announced Monday.
The 29-year-old Raad is getting a promotion from his job calling play-by-play for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. A Long Island native who grew up on Valley Stream, Raad will replace Wayne Randazzo, who joined the Los Angeles Angels’ TV crew this winter.
McCarthy, the son of former Mets announcer Tom McCarthy, will take over pre- and postgame hosting duties and call play-by-play for select games. This comes after five years of broadcasting for Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs and filling in on Phillies’ radio and TV broadcasts.
The 69-year-old Rose poked fun at the age difference on Twitter, suggesting he may have to take them out for ice cream and pizza and noting that the two of them weren’t even in Kindergarten when the “Seinfeld” finale aired.
METS IN THE MIDDLE
The Athletic’s Keith Law released his annual farm system rankings, with the Mets checking in at No. 15. The prospect expert lauded the Mets’ drafting in recent years and noted that several players have graduated to the Major Leagues since 2017 — including players that are now on other teams — which is a positive indicator of the club’s ability to develop talent.
However, the overall group is hitter-heavy and top-heavy without a ton of can’t-miss talent playing in High-A or Double-A.