With the St. Louis Cardinals struggling, it's a safe bet that they will not be participating in the postseason this year.
The team is 60-61, nine games back in the National League Central and four games back in the Wild Card race. They could even record their second consecutive losing season.
If such happens, they might decide to relieve manager Oli Marmol of his duties, and if they look for a new manager, they could check in on an old friend.
Zach Pressnell of FanSided listed former Cardinals star Carlos Beltran as an option to be the team's next manager.
"He's known for his baseball IQ and his ability to be a leader," Pressnell wrote. "The Cardinals would be foolish to not at least explore the idea of bringing him to St. Louis if Marmol gets the cut."
Beltran played most of his career with the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets but did play two seasons in St. Louis, helping guide them to the Fall Classic in 2013.
He was set to become the Mets manager for 2020 until they let him go due to his involvement in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal.
Beltran would certainly be an interesting choice. He would likely have the respect of the clubhouse very quickly due to his career resume. But he also does not have any managerial experience.
The past two times the Cardinals have hired a manager with no experience, it hasn't worked out too well. Mike Matheny didn't pan out, and neither has Marmol.
The Cardinals would likely be best served at looking with somebody who has managerial experience. They could reunite with Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, who is likely on his way out at the end of the season.
It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals feel they need to make a managerial change this offseason, especially if they miss the playoffs and finish under .500 again.
Perhaps they decide to look into a reunion with Beltran, or potentially look for somebody more experienced.
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