On whether the Mets want to get rid of Jordany Valdespin:

No, we need to have him. He brings a lot to the ballclub…yesterday, he spent an hour during batting practice shagging balls. He’s electric off the bench, he loves those big situations, and it’s tough to find somebody at this level who does it.

Do they not play Valdespin because they don’t like him?

That’s not true…his best position is second base and right now Daniel Murphy is red hot.

May 5, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Mets manager Terry Collins (10) watches the action from the dugout against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Ed Coleman (of WFAN) said there are guys on this team that are “done with Valdespin.” Is that true?

There’s guys in every clubhouse that for some reason rub people the wrong way…

On the team being terrible recently day in and day out:

The one thing you cannot show is panic and I’m not gonna panic. I’m as frustrated as anybody…I make sure that the guys know I have confidence in them. They’ve got to have confidence in themselves and they’ve got to believe in themselves…as far as our pitching goes…we gotta be better and I know we are better…nobody’s more upset than Dillon [Gee]. He’s just furious with himself, he knows he’s better. I told him ‘don’t panic.’

On Juan Lagares being over-matched at the plate:

One of these days we’re gonna get to a point here where our minor leaguers are gonna figure out how to be here…this kid is learning how to play at the major league level, and he’s had very little AAA time, but that’s what we have right now. We gotta do the best we can to help him get better.

Was he on board with the Rick Ankiel signing?

Yeah, I just thought he gave us a quality defender who’s dangerous when he gets hot. A veteran guy who can help out [Juan] Lagares and be a bat off the bench for us.

Does he worry that the team will tune him out?

I’m not gonna throw my hands up. I did that before (in Anaheim), it didn’t work. In other places I’ve been, we’ve needed to make deals and we didn’t make ‘em and it got to me. I walk out there every day and I worry about the guys who are out there…I got down on guys years ago and it cost me…I’m not gonna let that happen again…I’m responsible for who plays…it’s not because they’re not trying, we’ve just gotta do a better job of executing.

On him not liking Ruben Tejada’s approach at the plate recently:

He’s gotta stay on top of the baseball…when he’s effective, it’s when he’s hitting ground balls and line drives. I told him ‘you’re either tired or you’re changing your approach.’ He’s gotta stop that.

Why hasn’t Ike Davis been sent down?

I’m well aware that he’s gotta get going…last night, nothing to show for it, he and Lucas [Duda] hit the ball very well…I’m not asking you to get base on balls, I’m asking you to drive in runs. Therefore, when you get balls in the strike zone, you’ve gotta start putting them in play.

Can he sense that the recent poor play is wearing on his players?

I can sense there’s a little pressing going on…the coaches, the captain of our team, we’ve gotta stand up here and be the guys that are positive…getting them ready to play every day…we haven’t changed our clubhouse..we’re not banning stuff, turning TV’s off. This is the big leagues, and it takes a special kind of person to play here and we’re trying to get that through to these guys.

On Shaun Marcum:

Shaun told me the other day that this is the best he’s felt since he came to spring training. It (Marcum’s poor performance thus far) shows the ramifications of what happens when you don’t have spring…we need him tonight desperately to give us a good game.

On the bullpen turnover and overuse:

I feel terrible, I know we’re wearing some of these guys out…that’s why it comes down to the starting pitching…when you go to your bullpen as much as we have and as early as we have, you’re gonna have some tough games.

On his comments yesterday regarding the fact that he doesn’t answer to the fans:

I respect the fans immensely…certainly I meant no harm, no disrespect to them. I hope that’s cleared up.

 

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On the Rick Ankiel signing:

What we’re trying to do is improve our outfield defense and at the same time provide some opportunity for offense…(echoed what Collins said regarding Ankiel starting against righties and Juan Lagares starting against lefties)…obviously there are reasons why he was available. He was released by Houston primarily to give some other players an option to play…we think this might be a nice bridge and ultimately…could be a nice acquisition. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. We’re happy to have him.

…I found it comical that Alderson noted that Houston released Ankiel (a team going nowhere) so their youngsters could play, before turning around and picking him up for the Mets (a team likely going nowhere) at the expense of younger players.

How disappointed is he in Collin Cowgill?

We had high hopes that he would be a piece…it didn’t work out in the early part of the season, doesn’t mean he can’t come back. Certainly, even in a part time role, he wasn’t contributing after the first few days of the season.

…After the first few days, Cowgill was nailed to the bench.  Yes, he struggled, but he also wasn’t given a fair shot.  That’s on Terry Collins, though, not Alderson.

On Juan Lagares:

He’s a guy who likes to chase pitches out of the strike zone…he was improving to some extent in Las Vegas. That’s been underscored since he’s been with us at the major league level. It’s one of the reasons that we decided to sign [Rick] Ankiel. We won’t continue to keep Lagares at the major league level if he’s not able to contribute. What we need to assess is whether his defense is worth having his offense in the eight hole.

On conceding the season and/or potentially making changes:

I’m not sure that things can devolve any further… we’re looking at the waiver wire…this is not the time of year when clubs are making massive changes. In our case, we are watching what’s happening at the major league level…obviously we’re very sensitive to what’s going on. But we’re also watching the development of our younger players at the minor league level. What I’m hopeful of is that at some point in the season…if we are not performing well with the current group, we will see several of our young players. But our younger players have to be healthy and have to be performing. It’s great to give young guys opportunities, but they have to be ready to seize it.

May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins (right) talk before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Munson/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

…Sounds like it Travis d’Arnaud had remained healthy, he would’ve been here.  If not by now, extremely soon.

On the players who have struggled and what can be done:

We’re not gonna make moves for moves sake. What we’re trying to do is make calculated moves that will give us a chance to improve while at the same time not preventing us from doing something later in the season in terms of our longer term investment in players…[Shaun] Marcum hasn’t pitched well so far, Marcum had virtually no spring training.  It’s unfortunate, but we are going to see him pitch on several more occasions…the rotation (problems) aren’t a matter of one (guy not performing), they’re a matter of three or four.

…Alderson has to defend his signing (Marcum).  However, if Marcum is unable to perform over his next few starts, he has to be removed from the rotation.  If the Mets aren’t ready to promote Zack Wheeler, let Collin McHugh have a shot.

On Jordany Valdespin and the team not protecting him (Francesa went off a bit, accusing the Mets of not protecting their player):

I don’t necessarily agree with that. First of all, Valdespin knew that (the hit by pitch) was coming…he was gonna have to hit in one of the two days, otherwise he’s not an asset for us…I don’t think it was a surprise to anybody that that’s what transpired. I don’t think it’s fair to say that since we didn’t hit one of the Pittsburgh hitters that he doesn’t have a friend. Valdepsin’s a very interesting player, we all know that. I think you’re assuming that Jordany has been taken at face value…he’s part of the Mets, he’s part of our team, and we have a responsibility to the entire team to make sure that he can become the best player he can be. This is not an attempt that we’ve simply made over the last few weeks or few months, it (his behavior) is something that’s been going on for years. The notion that he was hung out to dry I think is a mistake. Everything that goes on is not verbalized or overt within the media…I’m not telling you he’s the most popular guy in the clubhouse…but I don’t think he was hung out to dry.

Is there any help coming to fortify the roster?

It’s tough for me to say Mets fans should be more patient. I’m not seeking that kind of dispensation.  I’m not happy the way the team has played either…at this particular juncture there’s not a lot that’s availbale to us. Some of the players who aren’t playing well have to play better. We can start jettisoning some of those players…but we have to decide if that’s best for us and the player. Take Ike Davis (descibred last years turnaround). At least what we have is some indication that what happened last year remains a possibility this year. I’m not asking anybody to be patient…the reality Is we’re probably gonna have to be more patient with guys like Ike and we have to hope like hell they perform again.

…a simple “no” would’ve sufficed here from Sandy.

Is the team close to elevating any pitchers or position players from the  minor league system in the next 7-10 days?

Probably not.  [Matt]Den dekker’s still hurt…the same is true at other spots. [Travis] d’Arnaud isn’t even gonna see a doctor until later this week.  Under those circumstances, we’ve got to grin and bear it at this point.

Did he think things would be better than they are?

Any time you’ve gone 6-17 (over the last stretch of games), you feel things should’ve been better. I suffer through these games too…we’re not sitting on our hands, but we’ve got to think through everything we’re doing and sort of questioning everything we have done and are thinking going forward. That continues on a daily basis.

Regarding when Zack Wheeler could be called up:

(Alderson took a very long pause before answering)…What we wanna do is what we did with [Matt] Harvey, and that is to create the right moment for him to begin his major league career and have success from the outset and go forward. That doesn’t mean bringing him up in July (meaning he’d be up sooner)…but we have to have a comfort level. There never is gonna be 100 percent comfort. At some point our needs will be a factor, but bringing Zack Wheeler up here, does that create a second day out of five where fans will have interest in watching us play? Yes, but (that interest) won’t continue if he doesn’t pitch well…(over his last three starts) he’s pitched great with solid command as well as overall success, so we continue to monitor that. I think it’s unfair to him to view him as a savior…we want to make sure that he has the best chance to succeed and he’s not viewed as the savior of the Mets. Ultimately he’s gonna be a great, we hope, part of a very successful team. This is not about Super Two status, I can assure you.

…First of all, I don’t buy the fact that keeping Wheeler down isn’t about Super Two status.  Second, I think the fact that Alderson alluded to him not wanting to promote Wheeler and have him be viewed as the “savior” means he wants things to calm down a bit before the promotion.  Meaning, he’d like the team to start playing a bit better so Wheeler isn’t viewed as the be-all end-all when he’s promoted.

On the coaches and Manager being safe:

The communication is excellent…it’s not as if players have rejected the coaches. They’re working hard…this is not about anybody giving up or quitting. The communication and the tone in the clubhouse…look, they’re down, they’re not playing that well but the tone continues to be constructive and that’s important.

…Alderson didn’t answer the question, nor did I expect him to.  Giving the coaches and manager a vote of confidence at this point just doesn’t make sense.

 
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Mar 15, 2013; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; New York Mets manager Terry Collins (10) during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports

On piecing the rotation together considering there are so many question marks:

On a daily basis, what we’ve got to do is make sure our guys prepare and make pitches…Aaron Laffey I think is gonna get more comfortable with more outings.

…there’s not much Terry can really say here.  He knows that the rotation is impossibly thin beyond their top three.  Collins mentioned recently that Laffey would be “the guy” until Shaun Marcum returns.  While he again expressed confidence in Laffey, I’m glad he didn’t repeat his refrain that Laffey would be “the guy.”  He should be evaluated on a start to start basis.

On whether Matt Harvey can be what Clayton Kershaw or Stephen Strasburg is:

There’s no reason why he cannot.  I think it all started with what he did the other night (Monday) here in Philly…he didn’t even have his best stuff and gave up three hits.  There’s no reason why this guy can’t step forward and certainly be one of the dominant pitchers in the National League. 

The Harvey question was parlayed into a remark about Zack Wheeler by Collins without prodding:

We’re hoping with what we’re hearing about Zack Wheeler, a few more starts if we get Zack Wheeler here, we might have two really dominant guys in our rotation.  Due to the injury he had in spring training, I don’t think he got the amount of innings he should’ve had to leave spring training.  So I’m not sure his command is where he wants it.  One of the things we do know he can do very well, he’s one of those guys who can…throw 90 pitches in eight innings.  We’ve just gotta have patience and let him get his feet wet in Las Vegas.

…after those comments, Francesa told Collins that the Mets needed Wheeler here “now,” but Collins said they’d have to wait a little longer.  I’ve watched both of Wheeler’s AAA starts, and he’s certainly been off.  He simply couldn’t locate anything during his first start, but last night was a huge improvement.  Although he gave up eight hits and four runs (one earned), his command was much better.  His fastball sat around 97 MPH and his secondary stuff was filthy at times.  Wheeler obviously won’t be called up until April 20th passes (and the Mets secure an extra year of team control).  However, it’s reasonable to expect Wheeler to arrive in Flushing soon after April 20th as long as the Mets like what they see from him in Vegas.

On whether something is wrong with Ruben Tejada:

I talked with Ruben the other day.  He’s the kind of player we like here. ..he has not played well.  I told him he needs to step it up here, that he needs to get himself better prepared before a game starts.  Go back to being the kind of hitter we know he can be…the other night here in Philly he came up in a big situation…and drove in two extra runs for us…he has (let some balls play him) but nothing to worry about.

On Collin Cowgill’s early season struggles:

He’s starting to over-swing a little bit and chasing balls he doesn’t normally chase.  We told him last night, ‘go back to being that guy you were in spring training.’

On Ike Davis’ slow start:

Yesterday, he came out and took extra batting practice…we tried to get him a little closer to the plate to take that outside pitch away…he might be (pressing).  I just keep telling him to stay within his game…get some base hits, you’re gonna end up getting some balls you can handle once they know you can hit that outside pitch.

…It did appear as if Davis was standing too far from the dish, so it’s good to hear that he’s working on moving closer to the plate.  Aside from waving at the outside pitch, Davis has a habit of watching pitches just off the outside corner for strike three.  Hopefully moving closer to the plate helps alleviate his problems with the outside pitch.

How does he feel about the bullpen?

I really like the way three or four of the guys have really jumped out.  [Brandon] Lyon has thrown the ball well, [LaTroy] Hawkins is getting a better feel for it, [Scott] Atchison has been very good.  I kind like where we’re at, but it’s all about your starting pitching getting you deep into games where you can get the matchups you want.

On the team expecting to win when Matt Harvey goes to the mound:

That was brought up by some of the guys…he’s got power stuff, he gets some bad swings on some pitches.  Our guys believe that this guy is gonna keep them in games…this guy has great makeup, great confidence in his ability.  It’s not one of those boasting egos.  This guy just believes in what he can do…this guy demands a lot of himself.  He is gonna be some kind of competitor.  One of the things we don’t want to do is have to shut him down at the end of the season…if we mind the pitch counts and don’t overwork him, he’s gonna stay healthy and he’s gonna stay strong.  He’s got A stuff.  He came in after Johan [Santana] was hurt and said ‘I’m ready to start Opening Day.’

…there’s not much more one can really say about Harvey at this point.  He appears to be the complete package.  Collins noted that the Mets would probably limit Harvey to around 210 innings this season, and that they planned on keeping him active through the end of the season by pulling him from games he’s dominating (for example, in the seventh inning of a Mets blowout) in order to curtail the amount of innings he throws.

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