Carlos Beltran

The Mets are Stoked About Their New Coaching Staff

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The New York Mets won 86 games in 2019 and hope their new coaching staff, which was finalized over the weekend, will take them to new heights and hopefully, the postseason.

The retooled staff will be brining back hitting coach Chili Davis and his assistant, Tom Slater, third base coach Gary DiSarcina, bullpen coach Ricky Bones and quality control coach Luis Rojas. Jeremy Accardo has been promoted to assistant pitching coach.

The new additions are bench coach Hensley Meulens, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and first base coach Tony DeFrancesco.

“We are excited to complete our coaching staff following a very thoughtful and extensive process,” Mets Executive Vice President & General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in press release on Sunday. “Carlos drove this search and prioritized talented coaches who share his player’s first vision and complement his skill sets.”

“I am looking forward to working with this talented, knowledgeable and experienced group,” Mets Manager Carlos Beltrán said. “Each member of the staff brings a unique perspective and expertise that will give myself and all of our players the tools they need to succeed.”

The Mets will benefit from Beltran’s well-respected reputation, especially among the Latin American players. Davis did a fine job as the team’s hitting coach in 2019. The Mets ranked second in the National League wRC+ (104), fifth in home runs (242) and sixth in OBP (.328) as well as slugging percentage (.442).

Hefner was drafted by the Mets as a pitcher twice, in 2004 and 2005, and pitched for two seasons from 2012-13. He most recently served as an assistant pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins. Hefner has the daunting task of straightening out the Mets’ shoddy bullpen starting with closer Edwin Diaz.

The key cog in this year’s staff will be Muelens, who spent the last 10 seasons with the San Francisco Giants – eight as a hitting coach and two as Bruce Bochy’s bench coach. He earned three World Series rings with the Giants.

Former New York Mets’ manager Bobby V has Advise for Carlos Beltran

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Former New York Mets‘ manager Bobby Valentine believes that the bullpen is the key to Carlos Beltran‘s success.

Bobby Valentine is one of the most successful Mets managers ever. He managed the team from 1996-2002 and left the team with a record of 536-467. He made the playoffs twice and led the team to the World Series in 2000 where they lost to the New York Yankees. It’s safe to say that Valentine knows what it takes to win in New York.

In an interview with TMZ at a charity event hosted by former Yankees’ closer Marion Rivera Valentine had a few pieces of advice for Beltran and the Mets.

“I hope he can get the end of the bullpen together and maybe even get (Yoenis) Cespedes to play a little, and put that group together offensively, so they can be consistent to go with that pitching.”

Valentine states the obvious here. The New York Mets need to figure out their bullpen issues. The team was dragged down by the poor performances of Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia. Their poor performances cost the Mets multiple games in 2019. Considering they only missed the playoffs by three games that means a lot.

Valentine also notes that the team needs to get Yoenis Cespedes back on the field to help the offense. When healthy Cespedes is a game-changing middle of the order bat. In his time with the Mets Cespedes has slashed .284/.346/.543, and has been worth over 3 FWAR per 600 PAs every single season. He’s an All-Star player who can change the look of this team.

The issue is that Cespedes is 34 years old now, and he hasn’t played since the beginning of the 2018 season. That’s nearly two full years. He’s coming off double heel surgery, something not many players recover from. Troy Tulowitzki is the latest player to undergo the surgery that Cespedes just went through and he was never fully healthy again. He retired shortly after the surgery because of it.

Thank you, Bobby Valentine, for pointing out the Mets’ two biggest weaknesses. The lack of a bullpen and missing one of their star players. Having those issues resolved would certainly help make Beltran’s job easier

The New York Mets have built a Tactically Diverse Coaching Staff

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New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.

The New York Mets have done a phenomenal job of filling their coaching staff with diverse skill sets.

When the New York Mets fired Mickey Callaway fans were desperate for an experienced manager who would know how to lead this team into the future. Instead, the Mets hired Carlos Beltran, a person with no coaching experience whatsoever.

That has some fans scared that Beltran won’t be any better than Callaway. Specifically, they worry about his understanding of in-game tactics and his ability to take control of a locker room, not a leader among his peers but as a boss.

Mets’ fans should feel at ease knowing that the Mets built a strong staff that should help aid Beltran in every weakness he has. They have done a terrific job of bringing in coaches from a variety of different backgrounds, all of whom have different strengths. Some of whom have completely opposite opinions of how to help their players.

Those diverse ideas and strengths should only help the team grow this season. Hopefully, it helps them get where they should have been in 2019, the Playoffs.

The Natural Talent – Carlos Beltran, Manager

Carlos Beltran was considered one of the rising star managerial prospects in baseball for a reason. His natural baseball IQ and his leadership abilities have been on display for years now.

It started with the Yankees where Beltran took on a veteran leadership role and helped mentor the Yankees young players, like fellow outfielder Aaron Judge who made his debut at the end of 2016.

Beltran continued that role in Houston with the Astros where the players referred to him as another coach in the building. Carlos Correa in particular, loved Carlos Beltran and believed that he would be a fantastic manager one day.

Beltran spent the last two years with the Yankees and learned the craft from a front office and coach role. While there he learned analytics and he developed his skills as an evaluator and communicator. For example, he helped James Paxton stop tipping pitches and fix his mechanics.

This is all to say that Beltran is a natural fit as a manager. His natural connection and understanding of the game makes him a perfect fit for this young New York Mets’ team.

The Communicator – Hensley Meulens, Bench Coach

Hensley Meulens is known for his communication skills. He has been praised for it every place he has been in his career. A large reason for that is the effort Meulens goes to making himself available to speak to his players. He is the only coach in all of baseball who can speak five languages, English, Japanese, Spanish, Papiamento, and Dutch.

Being able to speak to players in their native tongue goes a long way for them. It helps build trust and a connection between the players and the staff.

Meulens will likely take the role of the clubhouse communicator for Beltran early on. Beltran still has to learn how to communicate as a boss, not as a peer or mentor. It’s a different kind of communication. Something that Meulens has experience with.

He was the Giants bench coach for two years and was the Netherlands manager for the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and 2017. He has the experience and knowledge that Beltran will need on how to run a clubhouse.

Bringing in Meulens to fill that role is a strong choice for the Mets and their coaching staff. It should make Beltran’s transition to manager easier from a clubhouse leader standpoint.

The Old-School Hitter – Chili Davis, Hitting Coach

Chili Davis will be returning to the Mets in 2020. After a successful run with the team in 2019, the Mets were able to reach a multi-year agreement with Davis.

This should be a good thing. Something about his approach seemed to resonate with the Mets last season as many players had career years, like Michael Conforto, Amed Rosario, and JD Davis.

Davis comes with an old-school approach. He dislikes the launch angle swing and he preaches putting the ball in play. For Davis a single is better than a walk. He thinks putting the ball on the ground is a sound strategy, and he wants his player to hit the other way as much as possible.

It’s an antiquated thought process, but one that seems to have resonated with the Mets. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened either. While with the Cubs Davis made a strong connection with Javy Baez who had an MVP caliber season, however his message didn’t mesh with Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant so Davis was fired.

With the league so focused on analytics it could be nice to have a guy who is focused on finding ways to beat analytical pitchers and shifting, rather than try to out-smart them with numbers.

The Analytic Pitcher – Jeremy Hefner, Pitching Coach

Jeremy Hefner is returning to the New York Mets, and he brings his analytic approach with him. Jeremy Hefner was considered a rising star for his unbelievable understand and implementation of analytics. With the Twins, Hefner did a fantastic job of translating analytics into real strategies for their pitchers.

It led to elite results. The Twins went from a bottom-five team in the AL in pitching WAR in 2018 to a top-5 in the AL in pitching WAR in 2019. A lot of that has to do with Hefner and his ability to help his pitchers game plan around hitters.

For example, the Twins found a way to beat Pete Alonso in 2019. Alonso hit just .188/.316/.750 against the Twins. They couldn’t keep Alonso from hitting the ball loud when he hit it, but they counteracted that by making it so he only got three hits in two series. They shut down Jeff McNeil as well in 2019. McNeil hit .235/.278/.294 against the Twins.

The Mets may have won the season series against the Twins 3-1, but the Twins shut down the Mets’ big hitters. They forced everyone else in the lineup to beat them. That’s what Hefner brings to the table. The ability to help his pitchers figure out how to attack the most dangerous hitters in the opponents’ lineups and shut them down.

For a guy like Noah Syndergaard who has dominant stuff  but lacks in the mental parts of pitching, a guy like Hefner should be ideal. He can help Syndergaard build a gameplan and help him  attack batters in a smarter fashion.

Adding one of the leading analytic coaches in all of baseball is certainly a way to help your team in 2020. It should also help the New York Mets franchise in general catch up to the rest of the league in analytics. Something they have lacked for years.

Mets will cash in on Beltran’s ability to pick up opponents’ weaknesses

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New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.

You don’t play Major League Baseball for 20 years and not learn how to get an edge. It goes without saying that if you work in any industry you are going to figure out how to use everything to your advantage.

So, when it was revealed this week that the Houston Astros were using video technology to steal signs in 2017 – the year they won the World Series – and that veteran Carlos Beltran was a part of it, came as little surprise.

Beltran has always been a student of the game, picking up little tidbits and springing them on his teammates. Beltran, who was hired last week as the new manager of the New York Mets, denied that electronic devices were used for real time intelligence and told the New York Post that he wasn’t involved in any sign-stealing operation. 

“I’m not aware of that camera,” Beltran told The Post in a text message exchange. “We were studying the opposite team every day…We took a lot of pride studying pitchers [on] the computer. That is the only technology that I use and understand. It was fun seeing guys get to the ballpark to look for little details….The game of baseball for years, guys have given location and if the catchers get lazy and the pitcher doesn’t cover the signs from second base [then] of course players are going to take advantage. I don’t call that cheating. I call that using small details to take advantage. I think baseball is doing a great job adding new technology to make sure the game is even for both teams. It’s easy to blame someone when they win.”

Sign stealing is an art that is old as the game itself, so why not in this age of advanced technology wouldn’t teams use every tool in the box to gain an advantage?

That’s something the Mets could use – an edge. I’m not advocating cheating but the mentality Beltran brings to the Mets will be refreshing. It’s about time they are a step ahead of the times than two steps behind.

 

 

New York Mets: Terry Collins Not a Bench Coach Candidate

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New York Mets, Terry Collins

Unfortunately the only reunion the New York Mets will get is with their manager. Terry Collins will not return to the dugout as the bench coach under new manager Carlos Beltran.

Collins last managed in 2017 and has been very happy with his role as a special assistant. Even if he wanted to return to the dugout, the Mets will not give him an opportunity as a candidate for the job. Collins will still provide Beltran with any support he needs throughout the season as they have a tight relationship.

Narron to Get the Job?

Earlier last week a zoomed in photo revealed Jerry Narron as a potential candidate for the job. While the fans have a preference for Collins, Narron is a very qualified man for the job. He has experience as a manager along holding various roles as a coach throughout the big leagues.

It will be very interesting to see how the Mets fill out the rest of Beltran’s coaching staff. Beltran likely has his own crew of guys he wants to bring in, but the organization may way to retain Chili Davis and Phil Regan. Both provided a big impact on the 2019 team and carry a lot of key knowledge on the hitters and pitchers. Should Beltran get more of a say in his coaches, we may see some more former Mets back in uniform for the 2020 season.

Mets News: Van Wagenen on Girardi, Cespedes and the starting rotation

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Simeon Woods-Richardson

New York Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen was proud to introduce Carlos Beltran as the team’s new manager on Monday, but he knew there’d be more than just questions about Beltran.

For instance, like why he passed on Joe Girardi, the man who seemed to be the most natural fit for the job.

“There were a lot of qualified candidates that brought different things to the table,” Van Wagenen said. “I thought that we considered all of those candidates and their strengths and ultimately it was Carlos’ strengths that won the day. It was less about where other candidates fell short and much more specifically about what Carlos’ leadership brings to our team, what his leadership brings to the organization and we had a great deal of confidence in that.”

The truth is he wanted a first-time manager and not one he inherited, such as Mickey Callaway.  He wanted his own. Beltran has other qualities that won him the job, but still, Met fans are leery. He will have earn their trust.

Cespedes’ Return Still Unknown

Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is still a Met. Maybe you forgot. No one can blame you for that. Cespedes has not played since July 20, 2018 when it was decided that he needed surgery on both heels. That surgery was successful but his comeback last was then thwarted by an ankle fracture he suffered on his ranch in May. That’s the Mets’ story and their sticking to it.

Van Wagenen was asked on Monday what Cespedes’ status was. He wasn’t sure. I believe him.

Since Cespedes signed a four-year, $110 million extension with the Mets (with a no-trade clause) in November of 2016, he’s played in just 119 games. 2020 will be his last year under contract at a salary of $29.5 million.

Lugo, Gsellman could be starters again

With Zack Wheeler headed for free agency and a longshot to be re-signed by the Mets, the starting rotation will take on a different look in 2020. BVW did mention that the Mets would make a qualifying off to Wheeler, but the general consensus is that Wheeler will opt for free agency.

Jacob deGrom, Markus Stroman, Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard – providing the team doesn’t trade him – will all be back but extra arms will be needed and Van Wagenen isn’t ruling out two players already on the staff that have started in the past in Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman.

Is this a subtle hint that BVW will be looking to futz with the bullpen again this offseason? You can almost bet on that he will. He is likely in the market for a closer and a setup man from each side of the mound. In short, he’s back to where he started from.

Hopeful Mets introduce Carlos Beltran as manager

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New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.

The guy behind one of the New York Mets’ most deflating and disappointing moments is now being counted on to lead them to their next championship.

Carlos Beltran, the five-tool player who donned the orange and blue (and black, yuck) from 2005-2011, was introduced as the 22nd manager of the Mets on Monday morning at a press conference at CitiField.

Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen who reminded the throng of reporters on hand that the club went through an extensive hiring process, went into his best sales pitch before introducing Beltran saying he has a high “baseball IQ” and rattled off Beltran’s massive resume that includes his postseason successes.

The GM outlined the five things that won them over about Beltran, who had a strained relationship with the club after this playing days. Van Wagenen said Beltran was “poised” and “trustworthy” with a “growth mindset” who is “committed to beating his opponent” and has an “unrivaled understanding and appreciation of players.”

“Carlos will be a player’s manager,” Van Wagenen said. (Where have he heard that before?)

Beltran said all the right things up on the podium speaking in both English and Spanish. His bilingualism will be a huge help to him as will his experience and reputation.

“I can’t wait to rewrite our story” Beltran said, right after stating,”Baseball is a rollercoaster, guys.”

Met fans know that more than any fan base. Mostly the dips.

From the Mets:

The 42 year-old Beltran spent the past year as a special advisor for the New York Yankees. He last played in the majors in 2017, winning the World Series with the Houston Astros. During his 20-year major league career, he was a nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner, two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and was named the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year.

 

Beltrán played with the Mets from 2005-2011. He ranks sixth on the club’s all-time list in the following categories: home runs (149), RBI (559), extra-base hits (374), on-base percentage (.369) and slugging percentage (.500).

Beltran was named to the NL All-Star squad five times as a Met with his best season coming in 226 when he smashed 41 HRs, tying the franchise record with Todd Hundley and Mike Piazza.

That was also the season Beltran became the face of Met frustration when he struck out looking with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the NLCS versus the St. Louis Cardinals.

In 2008, Beltran hit the final home run by a Mets player at Shea Stadium. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants on July 28, 2011 in exchange for pitching prospect Zack Wheeler.

Now, Beltran is back and Wheeler is headed for free agency.

New York Mets: You Are Still on the Beltran Strikeout?

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New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.

Imagine your production at work was based off one mistake you made out of your whole successful career. Unfortunately we have more than a small minority of Mets fans who do the same thing to Carlos Beltran.

We all know the story at this point. Game 7, 2006 NLCS and Beltran was up with the bases loaded and down by two Adam Wainwright. Down 0-2, Wainwright snaps of the nasty curveball he’s had his whole career, to strikeout Beltran and send the Cardinals to the World Series.

Layoff the Man

Now don’t get me wrong here, Beltran should have attempted to put the ball in play, but he was frozen. Beltran ended up taking unfair amounts of criticism and ended up being used as a scape goat for the Mets inability to make the playoffs for the next couple of seasons.

Beltran put together some of the best seasons any Met ever had. During his career with the Mets, he hit .280 with 149 home runs and 100 stolen bases. He was a five time All-Star, won three gold gloves and two silver sluggers.

https://twitter.com/Baseballvic42/status/1190733999632736257

 

Instead of pointing the blame at the horrible bullpens and lack of depth, Beltran is held responsible for the Mets failing to reach their potential during his tenure as a Mets. They seem to forget the collapses of 2007 and 2008, in which Beltran had nothing to do with.

During Sept 2007: .282/.328/.555 8 HR 27 RBI 5 SB 0 CS

During Sept 2008: .344/.440/.645 6 HR 19 RBI 6 SB 0 CS

2009-11 were seasons marked with injuries and the roster on the decline. A smear campaign from the Wilpons in 2011, whom which the fans claim to loathe, also plays into the destructive Beltran rhetoric. Lets not forget, he brought us Zack Wheeler.

This all leads to Beltran’s hiring as manager. What he lacks in experience, he will make up in knowledge. Beltran and Callaway were both inexperienced when hired, but that is the only thing they have in common. Callaway was never the high caliber player Beltran was and never even sniffed an important game.

Beltran is regarded as one of the best postseason players of all time and rightly so. No matter where he has played, his teammates rave about him. His leadership qualities and respect are unmatched by any of the candidates the Mets interviewed, outside of Joe Girardi.

There is no guarantee Beltran is going to be the next Davey Johnson or Gil Hodges, but let’s give him the chance to grow or fail before we completely bury him again. Most fans reading this understand the greatness of Beltran, but some need to be enlightened before they make another ill-informed comment about him.

New York Mets: Carlos Beltran is the New Manager

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New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.

After weeks of searching and speculation, the New York Mets have named Carlos Beltran as the 22nd manager in the team’s history. He beat out Eduardo Perez in the final stages, who seemed to have the job all but locked up. There are many aspects involved in this hiring and lets take a dive into it now.

At first, Carlos Beltran was not even interested in a managing gig. As his name continued to be floated around, his interested slowly grew. It grew to the point where he only was interested in taking the Mets job. Beltran had a hall of fame caliber career and it included many great years as a Met. The only unfair rain cloud over his head is looking at a called strike three from Adam Wainwright in game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.

Respect is Key

Beltran garners respect from players throughout baseball, especially veterans like Robinson Cano and Jacob deGrom. He is the top manager on my list managers without any experience at any level. There is no doubt his knowledge and demeanor is suited for the job. He was set to be a manager at one point down the road, but is he ready now?

Outside of the lack of experience, it is hard to find a reason why Beltran cannot do a terrific job leading the Mets. He is highly respected, knows the game in and out, was a leader as a player and knows how to handle the New York media. Beltran would also prefer to hire Terry Collins as his bench coach, who would be a great person to have in the dugout.

What Role Does the Front Office Play?

A major topic of discussion will always revolve the role of the front office during the games. When Mickey Callaway was the manager, there were constant reports of him being told what moves to make.

This makes Beltran’s hiring is interesting for a couple reasons.

Beltran is a potential hall of famer, who is doing this job because he wants to, not out of necessity. This should mean he will be in full control and will take input from upstairs when he wants it. Should he be unhappy with the way he is being treated, he can easily change things because of the support from his players.

The other aspect is a scary one. Beltran could be here just as publicity, while Van Wagenen and co. continue to run the organization into the ground with their in game decisions. This could be why handling the press was a key part of the interview process. Someone has to take the blame when moves from upstairs do not pan out. Beltran would make the simple moves, but could just be here for the paycheck.

Understanding who Beltran is, the scary aspect is very unlikely. Beltran simply get what it means to be a winner. While most of us still prefer Joe Girardi, Beltran still would qualify as top three in the list of candidates the Mets hired. Despite the dysfunction in the front office, Beltran is the one who can stabilize the franchise.

New York Mets: The Four Managerial Candidates

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New York Mets to interview Carlos Beltran.

The New York Mets have gone through an extensive list of candidates to fill their manager position. After a couple weeks of intense vetting the final four names left are Tim Bogar, Eduardo Perez, Carlos Beltran and Joe Girardi.

Tim Bogar is currently the Nationals first base coach and is a name that has flown under the radar. His experience is no joke though, which has given him to opportunity to make the final four. Bogar is a former Met who spent nine years in the big leagues and has won manager of the year in three different minor leagues.

He spent time coaching in multiple roles during his MLB coaching career. Bogar has coached under Joe Maddon, Terry Francona, Bobby Valentine and Ron Washington. His only managing experience came in 2014 when he replaced Washington and led the Rangers to a 14-8 record to end the season.

From the Booth to the Bench?

Eduardo Perez has a very interesting background compared to the rest of the candidates. He has experience coaching in the bigs, tv experience and comes from a baseball family. Perez is the son of hall of famer Tony Perez and Eduardo was a 13-year veteran who bounced around from team to team.

He has managed in winter ball leagues in Puerto Rico and has experience as a bench and hitting coach for the Astros and Marlins, respectively. Perez is a very likable figure throughout baseball which helped him earn another interview.

Will a Beltran Hire Be Another Strikeout?

Carlos Beltran had a very successful career which included seven good years with the Mets. He was known for his ability to be a strong clubhouse leader, but did have front office conflicts with the Wilpons. Originally, Beltran wanted nothing to do with job but quickly had a change of heart which is paying off for him.

Beltran lacks the managerial experience at any level, unlike the other three candidates. What makes Beltran’s story interesting is he only wants the Mets job. He can definitely add the hitters and base stealing perspective the team lacked with Mickey Callaway as manager.

Will the Wilpons Accept Girardi?

Joe Girardi is hands down the best candidate of the four, which is why the Phillies see him as their top candidate. He is a World Series champion, former manager of the year and has 988 wins over 11 years of managing experience. Girardi also owns the best challenge record in baseball history.

The one red flag, for only Fred/Jeff Wilpon, and Brodie Van Wagenen, is that Girardi would expect to have full control of the day-to-day and game decisions. This had a lot to do with why Brian Cashman decided to move on to Aaron Boone to manage the Yankees. Cashman wanted more control of the team and it has not seemed to work very well.

The Direction of the Franchise

If the Mets bring in Beltran or Perez, expect the same old stuff that happened under Callaway. The one variable here is that Beltran has way too much to lose by become a puppet to the front office. Beltran is a borderline hall of fame and can find a better job somewhere else if he is not happy with what the Mets offer.

Girardi or Bogar should receive full control when they get the job. This situation is very black or white. Unfortunately, the Mets tendencies forces us to assume they will make the mistake by hiring another puppet.

Prediction: Carlos Beltran lands the job