TAMPA — Carlos Beltran will broadcast 36 Yankees games this season, and there was a chance Beltran was involved with the team in more ways than just as a broadcaster, as Aaron Boone admitted he had “put out feelers” this past offseason to see if Beltran would have been interested in taking a coaching job on his staff.
Boone stressed that he didn’t actually speak to Beltran about the potential role, but it turned out it wasn’t the right fit for either side.
However, Boone was not with the Yankees in 2017.
Aaron Judge was, and he said he’s excited for Beltran’s return despite the messy storyline.
And the judge added Sunday he doesn’t think Beltran will need to address the team when he arrives.
Aaron Judge (L) doesn’t think Carlos Beltran (R) needs to speak to Yankees players about the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post; Getty Images
“I don’t think he needs to tell us anything,” the judge at Steinbrenner Field said.
He also said the two didn’t have a conversation about what happened in 2017.
“I don’t really see the need to address that,” Judge said. “We have a lot of important things going on this year and the focus is on what we can do with them.”
Then-Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran, left, and Aaron Judge during spring practice in 2016.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
When asked if the team has put the scandal behind them, Judge said, “I can’t speak for the entire group, but like I said, the focus on this year is more important than anything that’s happened in the past.”
And Judge disagreed with Cashman’s assessment that the Yankees should be considered champions of the American League starting in the 2017 season after losing to the Astros in seven games in the ALCS.
“We didn’t win,” said Judge. “In my opinion we didn’t win. It doesn’t count in my book. We didn’t win, so I don’t get credit for that.”
Cashman told The Post’s Andrew Marchand: “You have to ultimately turn the page. Carlos is a friend. He was a friend before. You make these decisions in your life. Obviously what happened in Houston wasn’t good. It was a flaw in the game and it hurt and affected us a lot, but when you feel like you have family, I think Carlos is part of the family. … He paid a price for that. You decide whether to turn the page or not, and I turned the page. It’s no longer a problem for me as I move forward.”
Beltran admitted in an interview with YES Network that aired Monday that the Astros World Series 2017 title has a “smudge” due to the character theft.