18
2012
From Left Field: Should Mets Extend Terry Collins’ Contract This Offseason?
An article by 
Contract extensions will be all the buzz this offseason for the Mets.
The team’s only superstars, David Wright and R.A. Dickey, both are coming up on option years, so all the talk has been centered on them agreeing to contract extensions before making any other moves.
But there’s another potential extension that may be discussed this offseason: an extension for manager Terry Collins.
Collins signed a two-year contract in November, 2010 with a third-year option for 2013. Sure enough, even before the 2011 season was through, the Mets exercised Collins’s 2013 option.
Through two seasons in Flushing, Collins has a record of 151-173 with two mediocre-at-best teams. The team finished in fourth place in the NL East both seasons.
At least last year, the Mets had a little bit of firepower with Jose Reyes and a half-season of Carlos Beltran. This year, it was really a team of unproven players other than David Wright.
Maybe Collins’s two seasons didn’t end up so favorably, but there were times during each season that he had the Mets overachieving and playing great baseball. That’s really all you can ask from a manager on a cash-strapped team: getting the most out of his young talent.
Sometimes, the manager takes the blame for all of a team’s problems. Look at Bobby Valentine this year for the Red Sox. Granted, he didn’t always say the right things, but he wasn’t the one on the field underperforming.
But for the Mets, Collins so far has been considered more part of the solution than the problem. Many of the younger players gained a familiarity with him before he became manager, since he was the team’s minor league field coordinator in 2010.
The Mets should consider a multi-year contract extension for Collins, with reasons being two-fold.
First, Collins has earned this extension. Keeping a team of the Mets’ caliber in contention for as long as he did each season is certainly an accomplishment and should be rewarded with a vote of confidence.
Second, managers always seem to perform better when they are not on the hot seat. Rather than worrying about if his job is safe, Collins can focus on putting the 2013 Mets in the best position to win ballgames.
In all likelihood, 2013 will not be the second coming of 1986. But Collins has done enough in his time here to be a part of the next Mets’ playoff run, assuming that is sometime in the next five years when the team may actually have a bit more money to spend.
About the Author: Jim Mancari
Jim Mancari hails from Massapequa, N.Y. He recently earned a Master's degree in Journalism at Hofstra University. He is a devout Mets fan and takes pride in his team, despite their lack of success over the last few years. Like all Mets fans, Jim has plenty of hope. He also writes as the sports reporter for the Brooklyn Tablet newspaper and the senior editor of metroBASEBALL Magazine. Click my name to view my personal website.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 23 | 18 | .561 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 19 | .548 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.0 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 6.5 |
| Marlins | 11 | 31 | .262 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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I like Collins, but I wouldn’t re-sign him, YET. With a full season of Dickey, Santana, Niese, Harvey, and Gee/Wheeler in the rotation, a younger and hopefully better bullpen, and perhaps even a better offense, I wan’t to see him get us to .500 at least. I’m not trying to get too far ahead of myself, but Mike Scioscia might be let go by the Angels after next season if they miss the playoffs again, and I’d love to add him, I’ve always been a fan of him.
But forget that right now, I like Terry, but I wanna see an improvement this season before the Mets re-sign him. That’s just my take though, and I’m sure a lot of you will disagree with me.
I agree with you ScoreboardSteve. Collins to me has done a great job with the hands he’s been dealt – but he also at times appears more suited to deal with minor leaguers.
I like what the Phillies are doing and I wish the Mets did the same. They are surrounding Charlie with potential MGR’s for 2014. Sandberg/Joyner.
If Collins is gone – I’m still in favor of Teufel over Backman but who knows. If Wright is signed, I imagine his relationship with Teufel will have some input in the decision.
Why rush to resign Terry? Worry about it at the end of this season.
No way! Let him finish out the 2013 season and bring in someone younger or that has a good reputation as a minor league manager. Ryne Sandberg if he’s still available. I’d still hang onto Collins in some sort of high minor league capacity, he’s earned that.
I’d give him 2014. There’s no need having a lame duck manager causing a bunch of annoying speculation. Even if he totally bombs in 2013, you can eat 1 year’s salary. He’s not the long term guy, but he’s good for now.
I can buy that as long as there is a provision in there that says the Mets can re-assign him to another coaching position in the system. If he doesn’t go for that then gotta move on.
Oh for godssake – NO! The team quit on this clown two straight seasons. He has NEVER won anywhere.
Resign him? In my opinion this guy’s time has already come and gone. He was a perfect fit to replace the blase Manuel at the time. The team, thanks to the previous administration has a foundation that is starting to form and i think now would have been the time to get a new manager like Backman or somebody else who is more adapt at handling veterans and start moving forward.
Collins is jittery now imagine how fast he’ll talk or how nervous he’ll be if the games actually mattered. When David Wright, of all people, turned around and started yelling at Terry in full view in the dugout i knew he lost the clubhouse. Now it may not be like it was in his previous managerial jobs because i think these players kind of like him or understand he’s a nice guy but it still doesn’t mean you have the respect of the clubhouse.
Time to move on. But of course that’s not what this FO will do.
Time to move on from Wright and time to move on from Collins, get an established manager or someone with presence who commands respect, who would know how to stay calm in the highest pressure situations to lead this team now and going forward.
nope. after 2013 will be the time to bring in someone that they can build with, who can be part of the LT solution. kind of like when Davey came on board. Terry was IMO always just part of the clean up/transition (along with Sandy) but that has run it’s course. Let him go back to a MiL player development role of some kind if he wants to stay around.
But please, no backman.
I would re-sign him for another two years. I have a belief that a manager much like a GM needs to be part of the team building process. Basically consistancy pays off. Now I would like to see Terry learn a little about bullpen managment but maybe that will come in time. I’m just not real cool with the revolving door that has been Mets management. Hold your GM and Manager and let them build a team. I can’t wait for next year and hopefully Sandy will pull some magic for at least one good outfielder and we could see a durn good product on the field in 2013.
No. Not a particularly difficult decision. We are not talking about Tony LaRussa here. See how the year goes and if it’s successful re-sign him and if not move in another direction.
Easy decision. Sign him up for two more years. Let’s stop the negative group think. Terry has held up under difficult circumstances and deserves the extension.
Why does a manager with a losing record “deserve” anything? Especially after the team quit for a while in early/mid September. No one is saying to fire him, but no need to extend him either. I can’t anticipate next year going, “oh my God, will TC stay or go?”
Now we are rewarding “holding up under difficult circumstances”??!!
Talk about accepting mediocrity.
Resign Terry Collins, aaah No! Terry Collins should have been fired at the end of the last game like the other head coaches who were let go. Collins is not a winner, he hasn’t won anywhere he’s ever been and in his 2 yrs with the Mets he has sub .500 record by over 20 losses. He’s is a nice guy I am sure but the Mets don’t need nice, they need a manager (Leader) not a Buddy. Collins got punked twice in 2012, once by Santana and once by Wright—but only in one instance did he follow his gut, but he took some heat because of it and I believe at the same time he did lose what little respect he might have had in the clubhouse as a manager.
The only reason Collins is being retained for 2013 is because this Mets team will not be contenders. Beginning in 2014 there should be some improvements. The good start enjoyed by the Mets in 2012 can be attributed to the exceptional play of Wright & Dickey. Before the season I predicted they would finish last – who thought the Marlins would be so bad.
If this team is serious about making a push after 2013, they must have a fresh energetic approach and that means a new dynamic manager. Also, can anybody explain why Valdespin became Mr. Irrelevant during September.