Last week, Jon Heyman reported that it is unlikely Terry Collins will return to the Mets next season — whether that comes by way of a firing or retirement. This is not particularly surprising, given how disappointing this season has been on all fronts for the Mets.
If or when Collins leaves, the Mets are obviously going to have to decide on a replacement. Heyman speculates that the frontrunners could be current bench coach Dick Scott or current Dodgers and former Mets bench coach Bob Geren. Both of these guys have connections to the organization, but are far from a sure thing. Scott was mostly a front-office guy before being named bench coach last season, and Geren owns a 334-376 career record as a manager with zero winning seasons in five years with the A’s.
If it sounds like these guys sound like potential Terry Collins 2.0’s, that’s because they probably are. Collins never had any great track record of postseason success before coming to the Mets, and with the exception of 2015 and about two months in 2016, that’s what the Mets mostly got with Collins over the last seven seasons.
The Mets need to take a different approach this time. They need someone with a strong track record. Someone who is a proven commodity. And Ron Gardenhire fits this mold perfectly.
Gardenhire was the Twins’ manager from 2002-2014 after spending a decade on their coaching staff prior to that. During his 13 seasons as manager, “Gardy” took the small-market Twins to the postseason to the playoffs six times, all of which came in his first nine seasons with the team. He is one of just 64 managers in MLB history with over 1,000 career wins; his a 1,068-1,039 career record makes him the 52nd-winningest manager in MLB history.
And this season, he’s served as the Diamondbacks’ bench coach, contributing to their surprisingly successful 2017 campaign. So it’s not like he’s been removed from the game — or success. Gardenhire’s two-plus decades of coaching and managing winning teams makes him a sure bet for the Mets. And for what it’s worth, Gardenhire also has roots in Flushing. He played with the Mets from 1981-1985, appearing in 285 games with the team during that time. This could make the Mets’ job a little bit more attractive for the soon to be 60-year-old coach.
While Gardenhire would be a fantastic choice for the Mets, it’s unclear if he would be interested in taking the job. He missed about a month early in the season after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, so that could be an obstacle for him. But if he’s available, the Mets would be insane to not at least inquire.
Bringing in Gardenhire would bear resemblance to what the Nationals did in bringing in Dusty Baker. The Nationals, a talented team that had never realized its true potential, bought in an established, steady hand to run the ship. And so far it’s proven to be the right move — they’re on their way to their second title in as many years with Baker at the helm.
The Mets are still a team with potential. They have two elite starters in Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard and top-tier prospects in Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith. Michael Conforto is young and very much part of the Mets future plans despite his injury and Yoenis Cespedes is locked up the next three seasons. The team can by all means compete, but again, it will require them staying on the field.
So if the Mets want to realize their true potential (and they still have a lot of it), they should avoid Dick Scott and Bob Geren and bring in Ron Gardenhire.
He’s an established guy with a track record of bringing small-market teams to the playoffs. If the Mets are going to act like a small-market team, they should at least hire a guy who has helped small-market teams win.
