Mets manager Terry Collins receives qualified support from Sandy Alderson
Terry Collins #10 of the New York Mets looks on against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field in Flushing, New York on Thursday, May 25, 2017. MLB Baseball between the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets. Credit: Steven Ryan
In response to a published report that said he was “irked” by some of Terry Collins’ recent moves, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Monday that he is “happy with the job that Terry has done under the circumstances.”
The Mets are 22-27 after Monday’s 4-2 victory over the Brewers. Collins is in the last year of his contract.
“Nobody’s happy with the won-loss record that we have,” Alderson said. “I think there are reasons for the record that we have that have nothing to do with Terry. I would hope in the future that when people write about my views of Terry that they’ll actually ask me about my views. End of quote.”
Newsday reported last week that Collins has the support of Mets ownership and that the club is not considering a change in the manager’s office in the near future.
Collins’ bullpen management has been under scrutiny as a lack of consistent starting pitching has forced him to go to his pen early and often. The bullpen has sagged under the weight of too many innings, plus the loss of injured closer Jeurys Familia.
“We’re very aware of both the ineffectiveness of the pen over the last period of time as well as its extensive use,” Alderson said. “It’s a function of our starting pitching. It’s a function of the closeness of many of our games . . . Those are all concerns of ours. I think those are critical issues for us to continue to think about.”
About the report that the front office is unhappy with how Collins has used the bullpen, Alderson said: “All I can say is that nobody’s talked to me about that.”
Collins, when told of Alderson’s qualified words of support, said: “I appreciate that. Some decisions work and some don’t. Right now, I’m not looking at yesterday or the day before. I’m looking at today and tomorrow.”
Asked if Alderson had expressed any displeasure with his job performance to him, Collins said: “We don’t talk about that stuff. We talk about the state of the team. We talk about who’s available, who’s not, any moves we need to make. Once in a while, we’ll talk about a situation of this guy or that guy. We’ve talked about certainly making sure guys get proper rest, that we don’t overdo it with some guys. But I never ask him, ‘Hey, are you happy with the way I’ve handled the bullpen?’ I don’t go there.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
