TAMPA — Carlos Beltran is set to broadcast 36 Yankees games this season and there was a chance Beltran could have been even more involved with the team than merely as a broadcaster, as Aaron Boone acknowledged he “put out feelers” this past offseason to see if Beltran would have been interested in taking a coaching job on his staff.
Boone stressed he didn’t actually speak to Beltran about the potential role, but it proved not to be a fit for either side.
Boone, though, wasn’t with the Yankees in 2017.
Aaron Judge was, and he said he was looking forward to Beltran’s return, despite the messy history.
And Judge added Sunday he did not think Beltran needs to address the team when he arrives.
“In my opinion, I don’t think he needs to say anything to us,” Judge said Sunday at Steinbrenner Field.
He also said the two have not had a conversation about what happened in 2017.
“I don’t really see the need to get into that,’’ Judge said. “We’ve got a lot of important things going on this year and the focus is on what we can do with that.”
Asked if the team had moved on from the scandal, Judge said: “I can’t speak for the whole group, but, like I said, the focus on this year is more important than anything that happened in the past.”
And Judge disagreed with Cashman’s assessment that the Yankees should be considered the American League champions from the 2017 season after losing to the Astros in seven games in the ALCS.
“We didn’t win,” Judge said. “In my book, we didn’t win. It doesn’t count in my book. We didn’t win, so I can’t take credit for it.”
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 those decisions in your life. Obviously, what happened in Houston was not good. It was a blemish on the game and was very hurtful and impactful to us, but when you feel like you have family, I feel Carlos is part of the family. … It’s something that he paid a price for. You choose to either turn the page or not, and I’ve turned the page. It’s not an issue for me as I move forward anymore.”
Beltran admitted in a YES Network interview airing Monday that the Astros’ 2017 World Series title has a “stain” because of the sign-stealing scheme.