MLB

Mets manager is saving the big speech for later

PORT ST. LUCIE — The pep talk will have to wait.

When manager Terry Collins speaks to his players Saturday before the Mets’ initial full-squad workout of spring training, his message will be clinical instead of motivational.

Players will be told what is expected over the next five weeks and how to prepare, but after consulting with team owner Fred Wilpon, COO Jeff Wilpon and general manager Sandy Alderson, the manager thought it would be best to wait until later in camp, when the roster is pared, to speak from the heart.

“[Saturday] is going to be a low-key message,” Collins said. “The big message will be made later in the spring.”

Last year, Collins came out firing on Day 1 of full-squad workouts, telling his players winning was expected, regardless of outside perceptions. The manager made a point during that address of telling a mostly young clubhouse that stars such as Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were once in their position, making the major league minimum and trying to prove they belonged. He also reminded his players they were among the elite in the sport, considering more than 99 percent of all baseball participants never get a whiff of the major leagues.

But with 64 players in camp this spring — in recent years the number had been in the low 50s — Collins decided it would be more fruitful to wait until most of the final roster is chosen before addressing the team.

Mets captain David Wright indicated he may also address the team later in camp, but said he prefers individual interactions with players. Those sometimes occur at team functions such as barbecues and bowling outings that are held throughout the spring.

Wright said the messages delivered by Collins and Alderson in past spring trainings have served a purpose.

“What is important is that you have guys [who] actually believe what they are saying,” Wright said. “Terry and Sandy are two of those guys. From having a dad that was a cop, I have a pretty good BS detector. When Terry starts talking and Sandy starts talking, there’s a genuine belief they are not reading a script, that they actually believe what they are saying and therefore the players kind of believe what they are saying.”

The goals set by Collins and Alderson in recent camps have been “realistic,” according to Wright. Last year, the Mets finished 74-88 for their fifth straight losing season, extending a playoff drought that dates to 2006.

“We haven’t always accomplished those goals, but I don’t think it’s because they didn’t think that we could,” Wright said. “They set the expectations high for us, they expect us to do our part, obviously we fell short of some of those expectations, but they believe what they are saying.”

After watching his pitchers and catchers work out over the last week — position players who reported early were on their own — Collins is just happy to have the whole gang together.

“The reason spring training is six weeks long is for pitchers, I’m aware of that,” Collins said. “And it’s nice to get them going and get them out there and get them prepared, but it’s about the team. When the team shows up, there is a little more energy in spring training than there has been for the last five days and rightly so, it should be that way.”