All indications last night were the Mets intend to keep Jerry Manuel as their manager.
According to a baseball executive briefed on the issue, it’s just a matter of the Mets working out the details with Manuel and announcing a deal.
“Nothing has been finalized, but it’s looking real good for [Manuel],” the executive said after the Mets’ season concluded with a 4-2 loss to the Marlins.
An SI.com report last night reported that team COO Jeff Wilpon already has made up his mind to retain Manuel, who assumed the reins following Willie Randolph’s firing in June. The Mets went 55-38 under Manuel after starting 34-35 under Randolph.
Before the Mets’ playoff hopes were dashed for a second straight year with a 4-2 loss to the Marlins in the regular-season finale, team owner Fred Wilpon endorsed Manuel.
“Jerry has done an excellent job in all ways, on and off the field,” Wilpon said. “Jerry is a great gentleman, and Jeff and Omar [Minaya] will attend to that. It’s not for me to say one way or another, [but] I’m very happy with Jerry.”
Minaya noted the “tough situation” that Manuel faced, with injuries to John Maine and Billy Wagner down the stretch, as incidents that were beyond the manager’s control.
“I just talked to Jerry and told him I will sit down with ownership [today] and give my recommendation,” Minaya said. “I was very pleased with the job he did. My preference is to get it resolved quicker, rather than later.”
Minaya will get a say in the decision because the Mets intend to soon make official a four-year contract extension for the general manager.
“Omar has done a great job,” Fred Wilpon said. “The organization is pointing very much in the right direction.”
Wilpon said the Mets’ future is bright.
“One of the things that nobody predicted, including myself, is that we would have as many players in our minor league system who are really potentially very, very good major league baseball players,” Wilpon said.