The New York Mets have been a mess under general manager Sandy Alderson, but not because of Sandy Alderson. He's been mostly silent about the Wilpons' poor management of the Mets, however, and has made the most of what little money he's been handed to work with over the years. Knowing that Alderson is capable of keeping his head down and staying quiet while the organization repairs itself in a post-Bernie Madoff world, the Wilpons have rewarded him with an extension through 2017, the team announced on Tuesday.
Mets sign GM Sandy Alderson to contract extension through 2017
Alderson has run the Mets despite the Wilpons’ awfulness for this long, so he’s been rewarded with additional babysitting. Manager Terry Collins will return for 2015 as well.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The above might undersell what Alderson is capable of; despite his decades in the game he remains a sharp baseball mind who has helped reload the Mets’ farm system through the draft and trades since coming aboard after the 2010 season. He’s the right person to run the Mets both in the present -- when Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and the millions lost to it remain open wounds for the Mets -- and in the future, when he can actually have some money to spend on the free agents and trades that could bring the other New York team back to relevance. As the extension is reportedly for three years according to Andy Martino, Alderson should be around on the distant day when that becomes a reality.
“I deeply appreciate the opportunity to continue what we have started,” said Alderson in a press release. “There have been positives this season, but there is still a lot of work to do.”
With the slew of young pitching on the roster -- and what should be a healthy Matt Harvey in 2015 -- the Mets might even compete sooner than later. Franchise player David Wright stuck around for what seemed like a below-market deal, and departing veterans Carlos Beltran and R.A. Dickey were turned into key prospects who will help the Mets the next time they matter. Given that’s all due to Alderson’s handling of a difficult situation, he deserves at least this much from his bungling superiors.
Alderson also announced that manager Terry Collins will be back for 2015.
“Terry Collins has done an excellent job for us this season,” said Alderson. “The team has played hard throughout the year and this is a reflection of Terry’s energy and his passion for the game and for the Mets. We look forward to his leadership again next season.”
Space could open up on the coaching staff for minor-league manager Wally Backman with Tim Teufel moving off of the third base coaching job to become the new hitting coach. That is unlikely to quiet the talk radio cries for Backman to take over as the major-league manager.
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