Yankees Rumors: Carlos Beltran could be next manager

It took all of 15 minutes following Carlos Beltran’s retirement as a player for his name to pop up as a potential candidate to manage the Yankees in 2018.

After 20 years of major league service, which included stops in seven different cities — nine-time all-star and recent World Series champion Carlos Beltran has called it a career. Yet before the ink was dry on his retirement papers, word began to spread that Beltran could very well be a candidate for the vacant Yankees managerial position.

The way Beltran became a pseudo-coach and mentor upon arriving in the Bronx in 2014 is something that immediately caught the attention of general manager Brian Cashman.

The two, who have since formed a solid friendship, seem eager to work together once again, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

"“I had the opportunity to play with the Yankees for three years and I enjoyed myself, big-time,” Beltran said. “I appreciated the way I was treated; my family, the relationship with [Yankees GM] Brian [Cashman]. I don’t know what they’re looking for. Experience as a manager, I don’t have that. But I have the passion for the game, I have the knowledge of being able to play the game for a long time. I get along well with the players, with my teammates; I’ve always taken that to heart, trying to impact my teammates in a positive way.“I would not discount anything; you’re talking about the New York Yankees. You’re not just talking about any team in baseball. Not taking anything away from any other organization, but the Yankees are a team that anyone would love to put on that uniform and manage that ballclub.”More from Yanks Go YardAaron Judge’s influence on Carlos Rodón shows he’s more powerful than YankeesYankees sign 2022 Red Sox reliever, invite him to spring trainingYankees trade Lucas Luetge for 2 intriguing Braves prospects after DFANever forget Miguel Andújar wrecked Yankees’ Nolan Arenado tradeEarly prices for Yankees 2022 Bowman Draft cards are absurd"

Beltran who was always a clubhouse favorite, media darling and student of the game, relied heavily on analytics during his two-plus years with the Yankees and final go around with the Astros. As a matter of fact, Beltran acted as an intermediary between the ‘Stros’ young stars and the front office this past season.

His attraction to the idea of managing actually stems from analytics. Though the future hall of famer will always be an instincts first type of guy, Beltran understands that playing the percentages and fully digesting data is the way winning baseball is now played.

"“I don’t see teams winning these days without analytics; it’s a huge part of baseball,” Beltran said. “The human factor of the game is important, but analytics will position players to be more consistent making plays or helping pitchers attack hitters where it’s not a guessing mode, but in advantage mode. It’s valuable information."

Upon Aaron Judge’s arrival to the big leagues, midway through the 2016 season, Beltran asked the organization to place Judge’s locker next to his.

The 40-year-old Beltran, who has longstanding relationships with Brett Gardner, Dellin Betances, Luis Severino and others, would be a stellar choice to lead the next group of great Yankees into the future.

Next: 40-man roster crunch

Whether or not Beltran actually gets an interview or even decides to stay involved in the game without at least a full season off remains to be seen. The one thing we do know is that the Yankees are the only remaining club in baseball without a manager.

Who saw that coming?