Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter |

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Carlos Beltran-as-Mets-manager speculation has now grown legs and turned into an actual story.

Mets officials have been doing background work on Carlos Beltran in recent days, trying to determine if he is ready to be a manager, according to major league sources.

Many Mets people know Beltran well from this time with the team; he is particularly close with Omar Minaya and Allard Baird, who was his GM in Kansas City. Now, the Mets are looking into Beltran's development since he left in 2011, both as a leader and a rookie member of the Yankees front office.

When SNY first reported last week that Beltran's name was in the mix to replace Mickey Callaway, we added heavy skepticism because of his sometimes bumpy tenure in Queens. A friend of Beltran's went so far as to say there was "no chance" Beltran would take the job.

But over the past few days, sources have pointed to an increased openness on both sides to Beltran at least interviewing for the job.

"That's all in the past," said one Mets person on the old tensions with Beltran, which originally stemmed from his decision to undergo knee surgery in 2010, against the team's wishes.

In the years since, Beltran became a veteran leader in several clubhouses. He is almost universally respected in the game, and is currently traveling with the Yankees as part of their postseason front office contingent.

Asked if the Mets had requested permission to interview Beltran, a person involved in the process said, "Not yet."

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