Bad Sign for Mets?

YANKEES BUSY, METS INACTIVE AT WINTER MEETINGS

Brian Cashman didn’t have a spare moment at the Winter Meetings. But his cross-town rival, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, had nothing but time. Here’s a rundown of Wednesday’s activity.LHP Cliff LeeAccording to several reports, Lee’s agent, Darek Braunecker, left the meetings in mid-afternoon, so it‘s unlikely Lee will sign anywhere before next week. The Yanks were poised to deliver an offer thought to land between $140 and $150 million over six years. That averages out to between $23 and $24 million, right around the average the Yanks paid CC Sabathia last year. But MLB.com reported that Lee has a couple of seven-year deals on the table, and the Yanks would be reluctant to go the extra year.OF Carl CrawfordThe Yanks are said to remain very interested in him, regardless of whether they sign Lee. Getting the fast, powerful outfielder could free the Yanks up to trade Brett Gardner for a starting pitcher such as the Royals’ Zack Greinke, an elite pitcher who is neverthless a tier below Lee. An outside chance exists that the Yankees would sign both Crawford and Lee, though such a move would be a budget-buster even if they set up other trades.RHP D.J. Carrasco and C Ronny PaulinoAlderson is saving his money until $60 million comes off the books next year. So the GM went out and got a decidedly middling right-handed reliever and backup catcher for a 2011 payout of about $2.5 million total. Carrasco relieved for Pittsburgh and Arizona last year, going 3-2 with 3.68 ERA in 63 appearances. Paulino was dealt from Philadelphia to Florida amid criticism of his work ethic, and was pinched for a 50-game suspension for PEDs that still has eight games remaining.OF Carlos BeltranOnce rumored as a Red Sox trade target, the Mets center fielder doesn’t appear headed anywhere but Citi Field to serve out the final season of his seven-year, $119 million deal.

What's will be special about Terry?

THE PROS

- There will be fire! According to Mike Puma of the New York Post "The Mets are believed to have valued Collins’ fiery, old-school approach to the game over Melvin’s more laid-back style. After experiencing the laid back, ultra-lame attitude of Jerry Manuel, who failed to get the Mets adequately fired up and refused to argue many close calls, this change can be big for the Mets, especially playing in New York where the fans respond especially well to anger on the field.

- He will know what changes to make! Collins will be in prime position to implement players from the minor leagues that he evaluated last season as a manager of a minor league team.

- Experience is not an issue. Collins previously managed the Astros and Angels, but has not been a major league manager since 1999. He spent last year as the Mets’ minor league field coordinator, giving him an overview of the entire farm system. Collins had a strong ally in the Mets’ new head of player development and scouting, Paul DePodesta, who tried to hire him as manager when DePodesta was Dodgers GM in 2005. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt fired DePodesta before Collins could be hired. Mets GM Sandy Alderson started with a list of 10 initial candidates for the job. Collins was viewed a front runner from the start because of his relationship with DePodesta. "I was the minor league director and the field coordinator over there," Collins recalled last week. "I knew the young players, and they were starting to go young. So I thought I had a real good chance there. Certainly when Paul got let go, I was probably as disappointed as anybody."

- He's recommended. DePodesta recently heaped praise on Collins, calling him an "absolute star in player development," and suggesting Collins' experience in Houston and Anaheim would be an asset in his third stint as a major league manager."I think any of us who have been in these jobs in various organizations learn a lot every step of the way," DePodesta said. "I've been through four organizations now. I'm hopeful some of the things I've been exposed to over that time will be helpful to the Mets, and I think the same could be said for Terry. He's been a major league manager a couple of different times. You learn an awful lot from that. He's been in the Far East. I think, again, he's had a lot of success in player development. So I think there are a lot of things about his experiences that are worthwhile. Everyone likes different personalities. I really like Terry's intensity. I think he's a tremendous organizational guy."

THE CONS

Just days, ago, Ash Marshall of Bleacher Report slammed the Mets for considering Terry Collins as a candidate for manager. His article made many anti-Collins claims. The full articule is below:

Sandy Alderson and the New York Mets interviewed Terry Collins for the second time on Thursday as the club forges ahead in looking for Jerry Manuel's successor.

While I find it a little unnerving that all four of the final candidates called back for the final round of interviews are in-house candidates, I just don't feel comfortable with Collins.

It's as intangible as anything else, but I just don't believe he has the makeup needed to guide the Mets back to relevance.

Yes, he has six years of Major League experience under his belt, but how much does that really count for?

Considering he hasn't managed in the bigs in more than a decade, does his experience really make him any more suitable than Chip Hale of Wally Backman?

I don't think Backman is right for the job either, but I would consider Collins' change on a par with Backman's. Hale, despite no Major League experience, has a more hands-on knowledge of the challenges facing the current roster and I think that a degree of continuity is important.

With that in mind, I think Hale's familiarity with the Major League club holds more weight than the work Collins has done in the past year as Minor League field coordinator.

Even if you do consider that Collins' experience with the Houston Astos and the California Angels is invaluable, look at his tenure with these teams where he spent three years each.

Collins managed the Astros to a 224-197 record in three seasons between 1993 and 1996. Despite having the highest winning percentage of any manager at the time, he was fired under a veil of needing to "change dynamics" at the club.

Rumors had it that he was an unpopular manager, and the fact that he was replaced by the team's broadcaster Larry Dierker—a man with no managerial experience but described as "fan friendly" by the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel—must tell you something.

Apparently the organization had so little faith in Collins' ability to lead the team in the right direction that they kicked him to the curb in favor of a play-by-play guy.

Collins stayed in the business by landing a job with the Angels, but his fierce regime had some people thinking that it led to a number of late-season collapses.

Then towards the end of the 1999 season, players' complaints began criticizing his passive managerial style. Others were apparently unhappy at his inability to manage a diverse group of players in the clubhouse.

Team leader Mo Vaughn, Randy Velarde and Todd Greene were so upset with Collins that they met with then-Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi to urge him not to offer Collins an extension.

Bavasi tried to save face by backing up his manager, although when it came down to putting his money where his mouth was, he never tried to talk Collins out of his resignation near the end of the 1999 season.

It's sad, because there are things that would fit almost perfectly with Alderson's ideals. There's just not the right ones.

At his introduction to the press at Citi Field, Alderson said he continues to believe that on-base percentage and slugging and power and so forth are important. He is known for his fondness for sabermetric analytical tools, much like Collins who shares his affinity for things like OBP.

Alderson also wants someone who is fiery and who isn't afraid to stand up to umpires. Again, if Collins' reputation precedes him, he seems a good fit.

Unfortunately, Alderson also said leadership is key, and that is where I think Collins is lacking. When it comes down to managing a big market team under the scrutiny of New York's media, leadership trumps a potential manager's analytical skills or intuition.

BREAKING NEWS: TERRY COLLINS NAMED MANAGER OF THE METS

In the end, experience and demeanor won out. The Mets have hired Terry Collins to be their next manager, a source confirmed early Sunday evening.

An official announcement could come as soon as Sunday night, after the two sides agree to contract terms. The Mets have yet to comment on the hiring.

Collins, 61, is coming off his first season as Mets' Minor League field coordinator, following jobs managing the Orix Buffaloes of Japan's Central League and the Chinese national team in the World Baseball Classic. Posting a 444-434 record in six years managing the Astros (1994-96) and Angels (1997-99), Collins guided his two big league teams to second-place finishes in five of those six years.

He beat out a field that included fellow finalists Bob Melvin, Chip Hale and Wally Backman.

Collins has a familiarity with the Mets, which assuredly helped him in the interview process, and also boasts a strong relationship with new Mets vice president of player development and amateur scouting Paul DePodesta.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson discussed the decision with his team of executives Sunday after taking time off to attend his father's funeral service earlier in the weekend.

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

The Mets Inch Closer: The Final Four Canidates

The Pressure is on Sandy: Make the Right Move

Sandy Alderson spent Saturday night at Carlos Beltran’s fundraiser in Puerto Rico, where he presented a check for Beltran’s foundation from the Mets.

It’s hard to argue with the path the team has taken, compiling more front office brainpower – at least in terms of Harvard University degrees – than any in baseball. The Wilpons have made peace with Beltran. The new regime has not acted rashly.

But it is the managerial choice to come that I still wonder if the Mets are outsmarting themselves.

While the final count for the second round of interviews is not set yet with one more first-round candidate, former Met player and current Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo to interview Monday in Orlando, sources indicated that the Mets are leaning toward a person with major league managerial experience.

Hard to argue with that, except the group the Mets are choosing from consists of Clint Hurdle, Terry Collins and Bob Melvin.

That leaves out Wally Backman, who sources said had a tremendous interview session with Alderson. It leaves out Chip Hale, who knows the club from the inside, having spent last season as a third base coach.

And it also leaves out prime experienced and available managers in the game – Bobby Valentine, Lou Piniella and Joe Torre.

Maybe Piniella and Torre really are retired. What about Valentine, who seems resigned to return to ESPN baseball coverage? Is the price too high? Would his price come down after he was left out of Seattle and Milwaukee?

Backman, who was once named manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, saw his tenure there last just four days before he was fired as personal issues came to the surface. Stories surfaced this week about Collins getting charged with allegedly driving under the influence in 2002, something a high-ranking Mets official said the team knew about.

Hurdle is being recruited hard for the Pittsburgh Pirates job. That may leave just Collins and Melvin. If the Mets take the easy path, Melvin could emerge as the choice.

And this all reminds me that as good as he may be, Alderson’s greatest success came with Tony La Russa as manager in Oakland and a payroll that was the highest in the game. He pushed La Russa aside in favor of Art Howe, a dramatic example of his theories on a manager’s role. But he didn’t win again and no one would put Howe on a level of leadership with La Russa. Few in baseball would mention Melvin in the same breath as Valentine. Alderson better hope that someone isn’t saying Melvin and Collins aren’t in the same class as Backman in a few years.

Mets preparing for second round of interviews: Hale, Hurdle, Collins, Melvin reportedly getting call-backs

Sandy Alderson's business trip to the Caribbean, which includes visits to Carlos Beltran in Puerto Rico and Luis Castillo in the Dominican Republic, began this week with one of his final first-round interviews. In the Dominican Republic, Triple-A manager Ken Oberkfell became the ninth man to interview for the job of Mets manager.

The Mets may still meet with a 10th and final candidate -- Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo, according to ESPNNewYork.com -- before proceeding to a second round of interviews. The team would not confirm that report.

But Oberkfell and Oquendo may not remain candidates for long. Multiple reports on Friday indicated that the Mets have already decided to meet again with Clint Hurdle, Bob Melvin and Terry Collins, each of whom could interview for a second time as soon as next week. Chip Hale may also earn a call-back interview, according to the reports, though he is the only one of the group without Major League managing experience.

Hurdle, 53, has the most experience of the bunch, all of it during an eight-year stint with the Rockies last decade. Currently the hitting coach for Texas, Hurdle also has a World Series appearance (with Colorado) and six years of Minor League managerial experience on his resume. But his Series appearance came during his only winning season with the Rockies; his career Major League record is 534-625.

Melvin, 49, saw marginally more success in seven years as a big league manager -- two with the Mariners and five with the D-backs. Posting three winning seasons but a losing record overall, he guided Arizona to the NLCS in 2007. Most recently, he has worked as a scout for the Mets, and his familiarity with the organization could help him in the interview process.

Perhaps most familiar with the Mets is Collins, who spent last year as the team's Minor League field coordinator. A big league manager for six seasons with the Astros and Angels, Collins worked closely in the past with Paul DePodesta, the Mets' new vice president of player development and amateur scouting. And he is the only interviewee with a winning record as a big league manager.

It is for those reasons that Collins remains the presumptive favorite for the job.

"There's a value in having done it before," Alderson said on SNY's "Hot Stove" program on Thursday night. "I don't think there's any question about that. But there's also a value in already being a part of the Mets organization and having a familiarity with players on our Major League roster, having a relationship with members of the existing coaching staff, knowing some of our Minor League coaches and managers and what have you, having been in New York -- either living in New York or experiencing the atmosphere here for a year or so."

In addition to Collins, Melvin, Hurdle and Hale -- the team's incumbent third-base coach -- the Mets have interviewed Oberkfell, bench coach Dave Jauss, Class A Brooklyn manager Wally Backman, Red Sox bench coach DeMarlo Hale and former Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu.

Alderson, who will travel to Orlando next week for MLB's GM meetings, hopes to complete the hiring process by the start of next month's Winter Meetings -- but could do so sooner.

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Terry Collins Rumors Flying Everywhere

There are a lot of people that are down on Terry Collins, primarily because his players in Anaheim, and Mo Vaughn in particular, went to the front office and asked them to dismiss Collins in 1999, and that he hasn’t ever won at the big league level.

I understand that, but to me, the biggest knock about Collins is he hasn’t managed since 1999. I look at a guy like Joe Torre, who came to the Yankees in 1996 and had failed managing the Mets, Braves and Cardinals prior to arriving in New York, and immediately won a World Series. The point is, I don’t believe a manager’s record is necessarily a determining factor into how good of a manager someone might be.

From what I understand, Collins is very well respected in the Mets minor league system, and his familiarity with the minor leagues could be an asset for him as manager of the big league club. I think it certainly eliminates a major learning curve since he is already a part of the organization. It doesn’t mean he is the right guy for the job, nor does that mean he will be good at the Major League level. But that familiarity, plus the experience Collins has, albeit not recent, speaks to what Alderson and his group are looking for in the next manager.

Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the Pirates are working hard to hireClint Hurdle as their next manager.

David Wright Speaks on Mets Changes

Very honest, real guy. He says all the right things, always.

REBUILDING CONTINUES

FORMER DODGERS GENERAL MANAGER PAUL DEPODESTA NAMED VP OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

Sandy Alderson's remake of the Mets has started at the top. The new general manager added another marquee name to his front-office staff on Monday, naming former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta vice president of player development and amateur scouting. Alderson and DePodesta worked together in the front office of the Padres from 2005 until Alderson's departure early last year. "I am thrilled to reunite with Sandy during this exciting time for the Mets," DePodesta said in a statement. "I know firsthand the type of vision and leadership he brings to a franchise. This is a tremendous opportunity to help develop a winning culture for the Mets and our fans. "Immortalized in Michael Lewis' bestselling book "Moneyball," DePodesta will also reunite with J.P. Ricciardi, another of A's general manager Billy Beane's former front-office staff members in Oakland. DePodesta, Ricciardi and incumbent assistants John Ricco and Wayne Krivsky give Alderson one of the most experienced front-office staffs in baseball. "Paul has one of the top analytical minds in the game and also has a strong background in more traditional aspects of player development and amateur scouting," Alderson said in a statement. "He will help establish direction, standards and continuity in all areas of our player development domestically and internationally." After helping Beane -- an Alderson protégé -- develop the A's into an American League powerhouse early last decade, DePodesta became the third-youngest GM in baseball when the Dodgers hired him in 2004 at the age of 31. Though Los Angeles made the playoffs not only that season but also three times in the ensuring five years, DePodesta did not stick around for all of the success. The Dodgers dismissed him after they missed the postseason in 2005 -- his second year on the job. The following summer, DePodesta joined the Padres as a special assistant of baseball operations, eventually earning a promotion to executive vice president and shifting his focus toward the business end of the franchise. In New York, the Harvard graduate will focus more exclusively on baseball operations, reporting directly to Alderson. Having begun his career with the Indians in 1996, DePodesta is most famous for his role as an assistant under Beane from 1999-2003. Jonah Hill will play DePodesta's character in the upcoming movie adaptation of Lewis' "Moneyball," the book that introduced DePodesta as an unwavering proponent of advanced metrics. Displaying those statistical leanings in Los Angeles, DePodesta made a series of controversial moves with the Dodgers, most notably trading wildly popular catcher Paul Lo Duca to the Marlins as part of a package for Brad Penny, Hee-Seop Choi and Bill Murphy. DePodesta's hiring, along with that of Ricciardi, provides yet another glimpse into Alderson's strategy during his first year in New York. Aware that the Mets cannot be remade overnight, Alderson may act conservatively regarding player acquisitions this offseason, allocating a large chunk of his baseball operations budget to front-office personnel. Ricciardi, DePodesta and Krivsky are all former GMs who have worked closely with Alderson in the past; Ricco is widely considered a future GM and one of the game's rising front-office stars.