VIERA, Fla. – Jerry Manuel’s body language betrayed him yesterday.
The Mets manager obviously wasn’t happy with GM Omar Minaya’s abrupt decision to release reliever Duaner Sanchez just hours before Sanchez was scheduled to pitch here.
The usually affable Manuel was at times terse when pressed on the move, which saved the Mets roughly $1.413 million of Sanchez’s $1.6875 million salary because he was put on waivers before Major League Baseball’s March 18 deadline.
Asked if he was on board with Minaya’s decision, a glum Manuel said: “Sure. Yeah.”
Manuel appeared to be embarrassed by the sudden turn of events, considering Sanchez’s release came less than 24 hours after Manuel spoke of the reliever being firmly in his regular-season plans.
Manuel admitted the decision blindsided him when it was delivered to the manager late Monday night in a meeting that Manuel said was brief and one-sided.
“I wouldn’t say [it was] a vigorous or a long meeting,” Manuel said. “I think from Omar’s point of view, I’m sure it [was] discussed quite a lot.”
Minaya had the final say, and the GM didn’t feel Sanchez was capable of regaining the dominant form he showed before a July 2006 taxi accident in Miami prompted reconstructive shoulder surgery.
Manuel and Minaya disagreed on the long-term prospects for Sanchez, who struggled through a comeback year last season and had trouble getting his fastball above 87 mph this spring.
“He showed some improvement, but the location was not what we felt,” Minaya said. “I asked the question: ‘Where is he compared to last year?’ And we didn’t see that much of an improvement.”
The move came just hours before Sanchez was supposed to pitch here yesterday in an eventual 5-5 Grapefruit League tie with the Nationals.
The assignment was going to mark Sanchez’s first back-to-back appearances of the spring after he allowed one earned run, three hits and a walk in one inning Monday against the Orioles in Port St. Lucie.
“We do have some young guys that are coming on, or at least that we feel good about, in camp now,” Minaya said. “In fairness to [Sanchez] and in fairness to us, we just felt that if he’s not going to be on the team, let’s make a decision on this now. At the same time, it gives him the opportunity to be with another club.
“I think he’s coming, and to his credit, he’s trying too hard. He can get outs, but at the same time, the command is not where we want it. The velocity was getting better, and there were some positive signs there, but at the end of the day you’ve got to make a call.”
Sanchez’s release is good news for bullpen candidates Brian Stokes and Ron Villone, among others, especially Villone if the Mets – as appears likely – decide to keep two lefty relievers. Minaya said Sanchez was caught off-guard by the move, and that was evident as he left the team’s Tradition Field complex with tears in his eyes early yesterday morning.
“I think he came into camp knowing he had to fight for a spot just based on how [last] year ended,” Minaya said. “He’s been around, but most guys are surprised by these things. That’s how it is.”
bhubbuch@nypost.com
Mets 5 Nationals 5