CINCINNATI — Sandy Alderson remains firmly in manager Terry Collins’ corner as the Mets prepare to finish a third straight losing season under the current regime.
The Mets general manager had no comment Monday on a report he was already discussing contract terms with his manager, but a new deal and the announcement of Collins’ return for 2014 appear to remain a formality, as they have for the past several weeks. Collins’ current contract expires at the end of this season.
“I’ve been pretty open about my support of Terry,” Alderson said before the Mets’ 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park. “I think he’s done an excellent job with the talent that he’s had, the injuries that he’s had to endure, with the other changes in personnel. I think he’s handled all of those situations and individual events exceptionally well.
“On the other hand, we haven’t won, and that’s always an issue. But it’s not always a result that can be pinned on the manager.”
The Mets, at 71-85, have secured a fifth straight losing season and third since Alderson arrived as general manager and hired Collins.
Alderson, whose contract runs through next year with a club option for 2015, said his evaluation of Collins’ work hadn’t changed during a 9-12 stretch to begin September.
The Mets have been without ace Matt Harvey since Aug. 24 and David Wright returned Friday from a seven-week stint on the disabled list. Alderson also traded veterans Marlon Byrd and John Buck to the Pirates on Aug. 27.
“[Injuries] are certainly a factor, but it’s not just the fact there are injuries, it’s how the team and the staff respond to the injuries,” Alderson said. “And I don’t think the team has, certainly the staff has not, given up in the face of those injuries or trades.”
Above all, Alderson seems to value his working relationship with the manager.
“In the totality of the season, the working relationship has been very good and the interchange of ideas has been great,” Alderson said. “Wins and losses I don’t think ever determine a manager’s fate, frankly. Even winning is not necessarily a guarantee of tenure, so it’s always a little bit subjective and in this case perhaps more so.
“You have to temper your evaluation with the circumstances and the context, which includes the players, the injuries, the trades; other things have to come into play.”
Alderson is expected to make an official announcement Sunday or Monday that Collins will return.
“What we’ve said from the outset is we want to see this season play out and we have a week left for that to happen and we’re going to honor that original statement,” Alderson said.
The GM also addressed the status of Triple-A manager Wally Backman, who — as The Post reported this month — likely will look to leave the organization once Collins’ return becomes official.
Backman guided Las Vegas to the Pacific Coast League playoffs, even after having much of his roster decimated to fill holes with the Mets.
“I expect [Backman] will certainly be invited back in some capacity and presumably as manager of Las Vegas,” Alderson said. “There’s no reason not to do that. He did an excellent job with what he had. I think he had a good team, but he managed it well and there are a lot of players on this team currently who were in Las Vegas for some part of the season and I think we all benefited from that.”
Alderson added Backman would likely receive consideration for a spot on the major league coaching staff if the Mets were to have a vacancy.