The Mets are reportedly ready to move on without Terry Collins, but the manager doesn’t want to leave on a sour note.
Collins, 68, is without a contract for the 2018 season, but wants to remain in baseball and with the Mets specifically, according to Matt Ehalt of the Record.
“I’m going to be somewhere. If after we have discussions, if it feels I shouldn’t be here, then I won’t be,” Collins said Tuesday afternoon. “We’ve created something here that’s pretty good. That’s my take. I haven’t talked to anybody about it so we’ll go from there.”
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said that a resolution on the matter can come as early as Monday when the season ends.
There have been rumors swirling for months about the current Mets manager retiring at the end of the season, but he was firm Tuesday that he isn’t ready to hang up the spikes.
“I said it a couple years ago, I didn’t know how long I wanted to manage, what could be my last year – I never said anything that I was going to retire,” Collins continued. “I always wanted to work until I was 70. That’s two more years.”
Collins wants to continue his life in baseball whether that means being here or somewhere else.
“All of this stuff will be discussed at the end of the season. It always has been, and I’m not one to buck policies. I’m not going to throw my two cents in, what I think right now, because it won’t matter until we sit down and talk.”
“I will tell you – I hope it continues but it’s been a lot of fun. I’m kind of sometimes baffled of how it’s got to this point. Everybody’s asking me do you go back and think about two years ago? I don’t, but obviously nobody else has either.
“We’ve done pretty good here. I’m going to go out and finish the season and do the best we can to win as many of the next five games we can, and sit down with my bosses who I respect immensely, and we’ll make decisions.”
This is a new development from the situation surrounding the Mets, with earlier reports saying they were ready to move on and are considering Alex Cora, Robin Ventura and even Kevin Long to replace him.
Collins, who will turn 69 in May, say he feels great and would hate to go out off a losing season like this.
“I feel great, but I’m worn out, but you’re supposed to be worn out this time of year. Last year, your adrenaline is so high when you’re getting ready for the playoffs that when it goes away, it exhausts you as we’ve seen from the World Series experience,” Collins continued.
“This year, I’m exhausted because of all the things we’ve had to deal with. I come in every day and it got to the point where what drama am I going to face today?”
The seven-year Mets manager said that he wants to be in baseball, whether that is a coach or even the minor leagues.
“I’m a baseball guy. I’m not embarrassed about going to the minor leagues,” Collins concluded. “I’m probably not going to be an advance scout, that’s one job that I disliked immensely. I will never do that again. But I’m not embarrassed about doing anything that I think can help a team win and get better.”
