NEW YORK -- New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman considers retired player Carlos Beltran a friend, a future Hall of Famer and a highly respected baseball person. Does he consider him a candidate to be the next Yankees manager? Possibly.

Beltran, 40, told ESPN Deportes' Marly Rivera that he would be interested in interviewing for the team's managerial job. Cashman praised Beltran's attributes as a professional and mentioned that the past two Yankees managers -- Joe Girardi and Joe Torre -- basically went from playing to the top job in the dugout.

Torre was player/manager in 1977 with the Mets before retiring as a player to manage full time. Girardi finished playing in 2003, went into broadcasting for a few years, managed the Marlins for the 2006 season, was fired and went back to TV in 2007 before getting the Yankees job in 2008.

In Cashman's mind, Beltran's lack of experience in the dugout does not sound like an immediate disqualifier.

"I am aware of his interest in managing in the future," Cashman said. "I'll leave it at that for right now."

Former Yankees player Carlos Beltran would be interested in interviewing for the team's managerial position. Jim Mone/AP Photo

The Yankees have already interviewed their bench coach from last year, Rob Thomson, and former Indians and Mariners manager Eric Wedge for the job. Sources told ESPN's Buster Olney that ESPN analyst Aaron Boone will receive an interview, while a source confirmed a New York Post report that Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens will be in the Bronx to meet with Cashman and other Yankee executives. Cashman is at the GM Meetings in Florida and will resume his interviews on Thursday.

As a player with the Yankees in 2016, Beltran revealed his desire to manage. He reiterated that on Monday, saying he would welcome being interviewed by the Yankees.

"Well, one has to consider everything," Beltran told Rivera. "I personally think that's a great job, a position with an incredible impact -- not only on players that I already had the opportunity to get to know, but to continue doing positive things. At the end of the day, yes. You have to listen, because it's not every day that there are vacancies available for managing in the major leagues. Just think of this, Joe Girardi was there for 10 years. You never know, there are opportunities that God gives us, and if I get an opportunity [to interview] I will not rule it out."

Beltran played parts of three seasons in the Bronx from 2014-16, batting .270 with 56 homers and 180 RBIs. He retired Sunday after 20 years in the league, the most recent with the World Series champion Astros.

Cashman has been in contact with Beltran over the past few weeks and was unsurprised by the news of his retirement.

"I've had a number of dialogues with Carlos and I that I would consider friendly," Cashman said. "I think we have a personal and professional relationship. I know he has aspirations to manage. I'm not going to talk about who our potential candidates until we present those candidates to the media conference calls after the interviews go through."