Klapisch: Beltrán, Ibañez Primed to Be Next Latino manager

Nothing kicks off the baseball off-season like a managerial firing or two, which starts a second, salient chain reaction – guessing who’ll be hired in the coming months.

The calendar had barely flipped to October before three teams were already in the hunt for replacements. The Cubs had ousted Joe Maddon only three years after he’d authored one of the most dramatic stories in sports, ending the 108-year championship drought at Wrigley Field.

But Maddon was unable to slow the Cubs’ subsequent decline. His dismissal leaves open one of the most prestigious jobs in major league baseball. The same goes for the Mets, who fired Mickey Callaway after a surprising 86-win season in Flushing. Even as New York’s second team, the Mets offer a new manager limitless possibilities, including a large, loyal fan base, an attractive ballpark, successful regional network and enough front-line pitching the keep the Mets competitive in 2020.

Throw in the various markets looking for managerial help – or about to, including Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco and Philadelphia – and the odds are at least one Latino candidate will be hired.

La Vida Baseball’s list of would-be and should-be manager finalists

Carlos Beltrán

The former slugger, who ended his 20-year career with the Astros in 2017, has a well-rounded resume including Hall of Fame-caliber numbers. He would have instant credibility in any clubhouse thanks to his talent alone. But Beltrán was more than just a hitting machine.

He was an advocate for his fellow Latinos, pushing for the creation of full-time interpreters in 2014 after then-Yankees teammate Michael Pineda was caught using pine tar during a start against the Red Sox. With only limited command of English at the time, Pineda failed to fully understand reporters’ questions in the face of an obvious violation of the rules that govern the use of foreign substances.

That’s when Beltrán decided he’d seen enough. Through his efforts all 30 clubs now employ translators who accompany the team at home and on the road. The Puerto Rico native solidified his ties to the game by serving as a special assistant to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman in 2019.

Earlier this season, Beltrán discussed the possibility of managing, leaving the door open a crack. His name is already being mentioned by Mets followers.

“I can say this: I relate to players, I was able to play the game and I understand it,” Beltrán said. “But when I see what managers have to do, how early they have to be at the ballpark and how demanding the hours are – all I can say is, maybe in the future.”

Raul Ibañez

Currently learning the ropes as a special advisor to the Dodgers, Ibañez has allies throughout the industry. He’s already been connected to the Giants, Cubs and Pirates and it’s likely that list will continue to grow.

Ibañez, who played for 19 years before finally retiring at age 42 in 2014, slugged 305 home runs – most of them with the Mariners, for whom he played from 1996-2008 and again in 2013.

He spent a summer with the Yankees in 2012, long enough to become friends with general manager Brian Cashman. Ibañez made enough of an impression to have been offered a position in the organization – notably as the Bombers’ hitting instructor in 2015.

Ibañez considered the possibility before ending up with the Dodgers, where he’s been a special assistant to GM Farhan Zaidi. Thus, with experience on the field and the front office, not to mention a built-in connection with Spanish-speaking players, Ibañez’s body of work is all but complete.

Al Pedrique

The former Met, Pirate and Tiger infielder (1987-89) has plenty of experience as a coach and minor league manager in several organizations, making it as high as Class-AAA with the Yankees in 2017. He was one of the finalists for the Yankees’ top job before Aaron Boone was named as the surprise successor to Joe Girardi.

After being passed over, Pedrique decided the arc of his relationship with the Yankees had come to an end. He was subsequently hired as the A’s first base coach, where he’s spent the last two seasons.

A native of Venezuela, Pedrique’s connection to Latinos is obvious. But he’s also earned high marks for his no-nonsense approach in a demanding position with the Yankees. Pedrique was tasked with grooming prospects like Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres, who at the time spoke little English. Suffice it to say Torres, also from Venezuela, blossomed on Pedrique’s watch.

Álex Rodríguez / Pedro Martínez

Here are two crazy, out-of-the-box suggestions, considering a) both are superstars who would probably never confine themselves to the rigors and schedules of a manager. And b) neither one has any experience in that position.

But no one loves baseball more than A-Rod, and not just in the sense that he enjoyed hitting. Rodríguez was a fan of the sport itself, scoreboard watching from Opening Day on, catching late night West Coast games on TV, breaking down and analyzing industry trends with anyone he considered equally informed, including reporters.

That’s one reason A-Rod has been so successful as an ESPN analyst – he knows the game inside and out, keenly aware of the day to day life of the ballplayers themselves.

Would that make him an effective manager? He has the passion. Question is, would he make the time?

As for Pedro, he has universal respect from players and executives. And unlike A-Rod, Martínez isn’t dealing with the lingering stain of a steroids scandal. Whereas Rodríguez might someday rehabilitate his reputation to become part of the Hall of Fame discussion, Pedro is already enshrined in Cooperstown, N.Y., and enjoys generation-wide adulation.

Of course he and A-Rod are both comfortable in the network studios, where life is easier than in the dugout. But it only takes a few minutes watching Pedro on the air to know baseball is in his blood. His competition gene is still switched on. No doubt, Pedro could be a terrific leader.

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