Officially, the Mets’ managerial search is half a month old, though the team has been doing background work for longer than that. The club has already begun conducting interviews, according to a source, in a process that will continue throughout the month.

While the team has kept things as private as possible, some trends and points of intrigue have emerged. Here’s a look at three, as the Mets work to find their next manager:

It’s all about Joe

A.J. Pierzynski seemed to enjoy ribbing Joe Girardi about his managerial aspirations when those two shared a broadcast booth during the American League Division Series, not so subtly hinting at the obvious: Girardi has made it clear he’d like to manage again. And for as long as Girardi is a candidate, it’s difficult not to consider him the favorite in Flushing.

For the Mets, Girardi checks every box. He’s experienced, having managed 11 big league seasons. He’s successful, with three World Series rings as a player and one as a manager. He’s plenty familiar with New York, considering his 15 seasons in various roles in the Bronx.

On paper, Girardi seems the obvious choice. But the Cubs and other teams reportedly also have interest -- remember, there are eight managerial openings -- and questions remain if Girardi would mesh with the Mets’ front office and ownership groups. Time will tell. In the interim, for as long as Girardi is a candidate, he has to be listed among the favorites.

Carlos Beltrán’s interest is real

Beltrán is so interested in managing for the Mets, in fact, that he said Sunday he declined interviews for the Cubs’ and Padres’ managerial vacancies. Beltrán only has eyes for the Mets.

The question is to what extent the Mets feel the same about him. Despite being one of the most productive free-agent signings in Major League history, Beltrán did not always maintain a smooth relationship with the team over six-and-a-half years in Flushing. His strikeout to end Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series remains etched on the minds of many in the fan base, while his tussle with Mets leaders over a 2010 knee operation seemed to leave a scar both literal and figurative.

“I don’t think you can continue to progress in life if you think about the past,” Beltrán said Sunday. “For me, what happened with the Mets, the ups and downs … I showed people that maybe the negative things they were saying about me is not who I am as a person.”

Even if some ill will exists between Beltrán and the Mets, he has two clear allies in the front office: assistant GM Allard Baird, who oversaw Beltrán’s entire tenure with the Royals, and special advisor Omar Minaya, who signed him to a seven-year, $119-million megadeal before the 2005 season. Either way, there’s no questioning Beltrán’s baseball acumen. Considering how often Beltrán has received accolades for his work as a Yankees advisor, it seems only a matter of time before he manages somewhere.

Experience matters … or does it?

Before the Mets dismissed Mickey Callaway, the industry consensus was that they would seek to replace him with a more experienced manager -- think Girardi, Buck Showalter, Dusty Baker, that sort of name. Yet of the Mets’ six known candidates, five of them -- Beltrán, Luis Rojas, Mike Bell, Derek Shelton and Eduardo Pérez -- have zero big league managerial experience. That’s not to say the Mets, who have kept their manager search as private as possible, haven’t also talked to some well-seasoned baseball minds. It’s just that they’re at least considering giving the reins to a second consecutive manager who’s never previously done the job.

Asked about the importance of experience before the search began, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen responded: “I think that we’ll have people that fit a variety of different buckets. We certainly will be considering managers with experience and success at the Major League level. We may be considering people that have Minor League managerial experience, and we’ll certainly be open to outside-the-box ideas of people that either are up-and-coming, or that can provide different perspectives. I think when we put the formula all together, the goal is to have the best person regardless of his resume.”

By the end of October, the Mets should have a better idea of exactly who that person is.