Wilpon again assures Manuel, Minaya of return
Photo credit: John Dunn | Mets owner Fred Wilpon, left, assured Mets GM Omar Minaya, right, and manager Jerry Manuel that both will have jobs in 2010.
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Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel again have been assured by Mets ownership that they will return for 2010, a person familiar with the situation confirmed Sunday, in the latest effort by the Wilpons to quiet speculation.
The general manager and the manager already had received a vote of confidence from COO Jeff Wilpon at the end of June, and despite the Mets' ongoing struggles since then, ownership's stance has not changed. In the strongest show of support to date, the Wilpons told Minaya and Manuel more recently that they will not take the fall for the Mets' disappointing season.
Minaya has a three-year contract extension that does not even begin until 2010. Manuel is signed only through next season, which obviously puts him in a more precarious position for 2010.
Principal owner Fred Wilpon told the New York Post in yesterday's edition that Minaya was "absolutely" returning next year.
Though last month's botched firing of Tony Bernazard - the VP of player development who had embarrassed the organization - seemed to put Minaya on thin ice, the GM has been told since then that his job is safe for 2010, a person familiar with the situation said.
When asked Sunday about another vote of confidence from the Wilpons, Minaya told Newsday: "I never thought about not coming back. I'll keep working hard to improve this team until somebody tells me different. I've always felt that I've had ownership's support and I'll continue to do my best for them."
As for Manuel, he's had the difficult task of piloting a Mets team that has been ripped apart by injuries. Before Billy Wagner was activated Thursday, the Mets had 12 players on the disabled list, including the four members of the team's core: Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran and David Wright.
Manuel was seen chatting in the outfield with Fred Wilpon before Saturday's game in a rare public appearance by the principal owner at Citi Field. Asked Sunday about the details of that chat, Manuel replied: "It's always positive when I've talked to him. I won't go into what we talked about, though."
Pressed further on ownership's most recent declaration, Manuel added: "Jeff already gave us a vote of confidence before, and I appreciate those things. For me, though, we're still trying to win ballgames."
And there's still five weeks left to this bizarro season, which means anything is possible. Remember, it was Minaya who gave Willie Randolph a vote of confidence early last season before firing him June 17. In 2002, Bobby Valentine also received a vote of confidence from Fred Wilpon, then was fired at the end of that season, two days after the Mets finished in last place, 261/2 games behind the Braves.
