Carlos Beltran, a former New York Mets player, has clearly been keeping close tabs on his former club, as he recently recommended that the most important things they should do heading into 2026 are to ensure that Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso return to the roster.

But that was not all. In his statements to SNY, he also advised the Mets to improve their defense, citing it as another top priority. “I do feel there’s a lot of priorities,” the former manager said, acknowledging the tough situation the team faced during the final weeks of the 2025 MLB season.

“We need a closer… hopefully we can bring him back,” Beltran said, speaking with a passion for the team he played for from 2005 to 2011. He was famously hired and subsequently fired as Mets manager before coaching a single game due to the Astros sign-stealing scandal.

Beltran points to the Mets’ front office

In his remarks, Beltran stated he expects the Mets’ executives to do their best to bring back Díaz and Alonso. “The front office and the team upstairs are doing the best they can… to do that, to make that happen,” Beltran said.

Beltran also emphasized the need for defense to improve: “It was something that really hurt us last year,” he said, referring to the team’s defensive lapses. However, he expressed confidence that things can improve with the new coaches who have already been hired.

Reaction from Mets fans

Mets fans reacted positively to Beltran’s comments, which were published by SNY on X. Reactions were generally favorable toward him, and most agreed with his points, although Roy (@rwill235) jokingly commented, “Nice to hear straight from the Mets manager — wait,” referencing Beltran speaking like a manager.

“I mean bringing back the same team and improving defense shouldn’t really be the goal. Probably should also add another huge bat and get two good SP instead of the s— like Montas,” wrote Metsies90 (@metsies9017607).

“I agree with the Diaz/Alonso priority. But I’m at odds with ‘defense’ as being more concerning than the ‘offense’ as an area of concern bogging down the Mets potential,” commented Alexander (@letsknowmets) regarding Beltran’s listed priorities.