Terry CollinsOn July 24th the National League standings looked like this:

As you can see, the Mets were just one game over .500 trailing the Nationals by three games and they were not in a very good position to make a run at a Wild Card berth since the Pirates, Cubs, and Giants had a good leg up on them.

That July date is an important one because it is when the talent infusion started with the acquisitions of Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson.  This immediately meant fewer (preferably no more) at bats would be given to minor league talents like Eric Campbell and Danny Muno. More and better reinforcements followed like Tyler Clippard and then the big cannon, Yoenis Cespedes.  The team went on a tear while the team from Washington imploded.

So now the Mets have clinched the NL East and all that remains is to find out who gets the home field advantage when the playoff series begins next week between the Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Back on July 24th the only consolation for Mets fans who felt Terry Collins was a mediocre, or worse, manager was that surely the team would fire him at season’s end if he fell short of making the playoffs. But with the playoffs now secured and with Collins getting serious mentions as a NL Manager of the Year candidate, it can be assumed that not only will the team have him back at the helm in 2016, but probably for another year after that.  He currently makes approximately $1 million a year as the club’s skipper and the Mets do have an option for 2016.

In all likelihood the team will negotiate an extension and I am guessing his next deal will be a two year deal covering the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Collins is 66 years old so it is unlikely that the team would choose to extend him more than two years.  And one should be careful how much stock one puts in this Manager of the Year stuff.  Let’s not forget who the reigning NL Manager of the Year is: Matt Williams, a fellow who according to a Friday report from Jon Heyman will be out of a job before the Mets-Dodgers series commences.

It is probable that the current option on Collins’ services would be one year – perhaps $1.5 million.  So the extension figures to bump the numbers a bit.   It is the Mets we are talking about here so they do not figure to break the bank on a guy who just barely made it back for this year. My guess is that he will receive a two year deal for a total of $5 million.  The Mets backload many of their player deals so perhaps they will do that here and pay Collins $2 million for the 2016 season and then $3 million for 2017. Were the Mets to have a great playoff run, as in getting to or even winning the World Series, it is possible that the deal could be as sweet as two years $7 million ($3 mill the first year and $4 mill in 2017).

It is certainly debatable how good Terry Collins is as a manager but one can’t argue the facts that this team has outperformed expectations.  He will be back, he will be paid well, and he deserves a moderate amount of the credit for getting his team where they are.

3 comments on “Speculations on a Terry Collins contract extension

  • NormE

    There are three managers in the NL West who will get a good number of votes.
    It really doesn’t matter. The honor only means something to the winner. As Larry points out, Matt Williams won it last year. He must have gotten really dumber in one year.

  • Dan Kolton

    After the way the Nets have been playing. He should be fired. Your a first place manager: put your best guys in and don’t get no hit

  • Ike

    How anyone who has played any kind of sports could think that having the deciding game of a series in front of their fans isn’t important that is someone who to me is clueless, having watched collins from the beginning of his time with the Mets I believe he has lost more games fro us with his managing as any manager in baseball!! he has one of the best young staffs in baseball if not the best and puts out lineups for them to lose all the time makes moves to the bullpen that costs them games just look at what he has done to Matt in his time, some of his moves are just crazy manager of the year yea like williams this is like saying alderson is the executive of the year, like they say better to be lucky than good!!

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