Astros outfielder George Springer has no reservations about whether his former teammate Carlos Beltran can lead a team at the game's highest level.
Springer stopped by the offices of MLB.com on Wednesday afternoon and appeared on MLB Network and 12:25 with Alexa Datt to discuss a variety of topics. Speaking with Datt, Springer gave a glowing explanation as to why Beltran, who interviewed for the Yankees' managerial opening on Wednesday, would be a great fit for the position.
"He will be probably one of the best of managers that any player could ever have," Springer said. "He understands the game, he's a player's guy. He's played the game, obviously, for 20 years. He's going to be a Hall of Famer, so he's going to be a heck of a manager someday."

Beltran announced his retirement from baseball on Nov. 13 after winning his first World Series title with the Astros, for whom he played an integral role in mentoring the club's young talent. Shortly after the season, he told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand that he would be interested in managing at some point down the road. Beltran told Feinsand he wanted to devote more time to his family, but with his wife and three children in New York, the Yankees job would not take him far.
Beltran is one of six candidates the Yankees have interviewed for the position. The others include Blue Jays field coordinator Eric Wedge, Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens, ESPN analyst Aaron Boone, Dodgers infield coach Chris Woodward and Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson.

Beltran also fits the mold of general manager Brian Cashman, who signed him in free agency in 2014 in part to help mentor a young New York team.
"At some point in my career, I would love to have the opportunity to manage," Beltran told Feinsand a few weeks ago. "With the experience that I have in the game of baseball, the times I've played, different teams that I've played for, I've gotten to see different ways to do things in the clubhouse and for the players. How to motivate them, how to impact them in a way where they continue to improve. I would love that opportunity, for sure."