Terry Collins wouldn’t directly address his future with the team on Tuesday.
Credit: Getty Images
The question posed to manager Terry Collins Tuesday afternoon, hours after the trade of Marlon Byrd and John Buck to Pittsburgh was consecrated, was how the manager views his job status.
“I will reiterate the same things I’ve been saying all summer: This is not about me,” Collins said during his pregame press conference. “This is not about me. This will never be about me. This is only about our team and that clubhouse and those 25 guys who have to go out and play every night.”
Collins, 64, is in the last year of his contract and there has been much speculation whether the organization will bring him back for next season. When the subject of Collins’s future was broached, general manager Sandy Alderson wouldn’t go into specifics.
“I have said before and would reiterate how Terry is evaluated is beyond simply wins and losses,” Alderson said. “We’ve talked about that before. To the extent that it’s perceived this will make it more difficult for him to win, and I don’t necessarily hold to that belief, obviously all of the circumstances will be taken into account.”
In 453 games with the Mets spanning the 2011-2013 seasons, Collins has a record of 209-244. The Mets entered yesterday’s game against the NL East-rival Phillies with a 58-71 record, and without their ace and their top three RBI threats.
“Don’t think for one second players are naive,” Collins said. “They know who’s not here and they know that’s big holes and big shoes to fill. A lot of them have to look in the mirror and realize they’re the ones that are going to have to fill them. But if they’re going to play at this level, if they’re going to play in this arena, there’s going to be expectations no matter who they are. No matter if their number is No. 5, there [are] still expectations here. If it’s difficult for them to deal with, this is not the place for them to play.
“I’ve already had four guys in the office today— one-on-ones, lighten the mood, team get-together, discuss issues, all those things have been taken into consideration. But again, if you want to know how things are felt, go in the other clubhouse [and] see if they’re feeling sorry for us.
As I’ve said all year long, there’s a clubhouse full of guys in there, [and] they’re fighting for their jobs. So they want to cash it in, [or] there will be somebody else in those uniforms next year.”
Quick hits …
» Alderson announced Jeremy Hefner will undergo Tommy John surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery “shortly,” after seeing “Dr. [James] Andrews in Alabama. Dr. David Altchek will be doing the surgery.” Hefner tweeted Tuesday he would go under the knife Wednesday morning.
» As expected, the Mets placed Matt Harvey on the 15-day DL with a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow. Harvey tweeted he plans to “be back for next year for April 1,” later in the afternoon.
» David Wright will be sent to Port St. Lucie on Thursday. He has been on the DL since Aug. 3 with a strained right hamstring.
Follow Mets beat writer Denis Gorman on Twitter @DenisGorman.
