Beltran became the front-runner for the Mets job after a month-long search for a new managerMETS
The Mets "didn't opt for an experienced manager" in selecting Carlos Beltran as their new clubhouse leader, but he is as "splashy a name as you'll find around Queens," according to Justin Toscano of the Bergen RECORD. Beltran, who was formally introduced yesterday, as a player "electrified the fans and could now help renew hope in a leadership position." Mets Exec VP & GM Brodie Van Wagenen said, "His leadership skills and his trustworthiness (separated him). When we walked into the room with Carlos there was an authenticity to him and a belief that he was the smartest baseball guy in the room" (Bergen RECORD, 11/5). Van Wagenen said that the Mets were "willing to gamble on Beltran" because of the "reputation he had built as a thoughtful teammate." Beltran said that as a special adviser with the Yankees he "helped bridge the gap among the front office, the analytics department and the players" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/5). SNY’s Jon Hein said Van Wagenen is “always looking to make a splash” and Beltran was the “sexiest name" in the mix for the position. However, fans "shouldn’t mistake that for a guy who isn’t qualified to do this job.” The N.Y. Daily News' Andy Martino noted the Mets are "taking a risk” with an unproven manager, but what Van Wagenen was “looking for rather than a particular profile of age or experience was a connection." Martino: "He made a personal connection with Beltran” ("Loud Mouths," SNY, 11/4).
SORTING IT OUT: Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and Van Wagenen said that there was "no light-bulb moment when Beltran became the clear front-runner" for the manager position, but that it "evolved during a three-round process." Van Wagenen noted that the "momentum shifted" in round two of the process with how Beltran handled questions meant to "simulate what he would hear at the press conference and over 162 games." Van Wagenen cited the "conviction, consistency, poise and polish that Beltran brought in his responses." In N.Y., Joel Sherman writes Van Wagenen since joining the Mets last year has been "nothing but bold, from taking the GM job, from divesting from prospects in huge trades, from buying at the trade deadline and now in hiring Beltran" (N.Y. POST, 11/5).
