Mets Coaching Staff to Return in 2013; Wright Makes Comments About Future

With the second half slide that took place after the All-Star this year, the jobs of the coaching staff seemed to be in jeopardy. The front office put their faith behind Terry Collins, although they aren’t planning discussing an extension, as 2013 is the final year of his contract. However, Sandy Alderson met the team in Atlanta on Sunday for the final four games to discuss the fate of the coaching staff. Well, never fear, they’ll all be back next season.

Yes, that means Dave Hudgens, Tom Goodwin, Tim Teufel, Ricky Bones, Bob Geren, and longest-tenured coach Dan Warthen will all be coming back in 2013, despite having the majority of the team’s statistics rank in the bottom half of the National League. Wally Backman, who seemingly is the heir apparent for the Mets managerial position whenever the front office decides to make a move, has not been presented with a role for the upcoming season, as it would make sense he would be going with the Triple-A affiliate to Las Vegas to manage the 51s.

Sept 16, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; New York Mets manager Terry Collins watches game against the Milwaukee Brewers from the dugout at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Although I would have liked to see Warthen hit the road and bring in a fresh point of view, it’s obvious that after talking with Terry about his staff, Sandy is convinced the staff is taking the team in the right direction, especially since they’ve been having a solid finish to the season. Alderson could be thinking that with more productive players on the roster, the culture the staff is trying to instill into the team will be received differently.

On the other hand, Warthen also stated that he would love to have Mike Pelfrey come back next year as he recovers from his Tommy John surgery. Since he would have to make no less than 80% of the $5.6 million he made this year if tendered a contract, it is likely the Mets will let him become a free agent before deciding whether they’re interested in bringing him back. Warthen went on to talk about Pelfrey’s potential of being a productive reliever, as he is a hardthrower and could utilize his sinker to get ground balls. It’s an interesting notion, as Big Pelf would seemingly like to finish his rehab with an organization that he’s familiar with, and he would likely be in the Mets’ price range. He could fit into what Chris Young‘s role was this year, as he finished his rehab at the start of the season and ironically, filled Pelfrey’s role when he made his debut in June.

Adam Rubin had an exclusive interview with David Wright the other day, and he shed some light on his thoughts about a possible contract extension going into this winter. Sandy Alderson has said all season that he would like to have Wright, as well as R.A. Dickey signed to multi-year deals. Wright expressed to Rubin he wants his next contract to take him to his retirement, but hasn’t heard much from ownership about their desire to have him here for years to come.

The third baseman is not a fan of in-season negotiations, as he squashed Alderson’s attempts during the middle of this season to do so. If there is no agreement this winter, Wright is open to entering free agency and testing the market at the end of 2013. He will be utilizing his agents about the process from here, as well as his family to help him make the right decision for his future.

Obviously, I would like to see Mr. Wright in the Orange and Blue for the rest of his career, as I’m sure most fans would. There are plenty that feel Wright should be traded to get impact prospects in return because they haven’t been able to win with him, so it would be better to try it without him. However, he’s the captain of this team, and loves the organization enough to say he’s enjoyed his time in Flushing, and wants to help be a part of the solution. There aren’t many players with that kind of character, and the Wilpons need to do the right thing and lock him up and build a legitimate contender around the likes of him, Ruben Tejada, and Ike Davis.