Today the New York Mets extended first-year manager Terry Collins’ contract until 2013. At times during this season, the injury-depleted Mets seemed to play inspired ball under the new skipper, which is why as of right now the Mets are only eight games under .500 at 76-84.

That may seem like a bad record but consider that the Mets best starter (Johan Santana) was hurt the whole season, best run producer (Carlos Beltran) and closer (Francisco Rodriguez) were traded midway through the season and two highly-paid middle of the lineup bats (Jason Bay and David Wright) were woefully unproductive for most of the season. The Mets were able to play respectable ball with all of these obstacles trying to bog their record down.

Collins is the right man for the job as of right now and it was a good move by the front office to lock him up for the foreseeable future. There are no other standout candidates for the Mets managerial job right now so Collins is the right guy to go with.
New York Mets: Like this team?

I know what a lot of you are thinking: How would Sandy Alderson get away with dealing the face of the franchise?

David Wright has been in the Mets organization for his entire career. But given the situation the Mets are currently in, this idea may be more valid than you realize.

Wright’s production has considerably gone down the past few seasons. Yes, he’s had to deal with getting hit in the head by a fastball and a fractured back. But he has struggled big time this season at the plate and in the field. He is far from the Gold Glove form that we’ve seen in the past.

This offseason, a lot of the attention is going to be on re-signing Jose Reyes. I firmly believe that Sandy Alderson should do whatever it takes to keep Jose in New York. David Wright is currently under contract until 2012, and the team holds an option for 2013. His value will probably be at its peak this offseason.

Before Daniel Murphy went down with an ankle injury in August, he was having quite a season, hitting .320. Only Ryan Braun, Jose Reyes and Matt Kemp have better batting averages than that.

While Wright is known for being a streaky hitter, Murphy is all about consistency. His struggles in the field have been well documented. The Mets have tried him in the outfield and at first and second base. But guess what Daniel’s natural position is? Third base.

I think you can see where I’m going with this.

Murphy can replace David at the hot corner should the Mets decide to deal him. His defense at third base will surely be better than anywhere else he plays.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i9yoLSlOoyw

Rosario’s smooth, easy swing

What could the Mets get in return for Wright? There have been reports linking the Colorado Rockies to Wright. I think they have had their eyes on David ever since he broke in to the majors.

So, here’s a potential mock trade.

Rockies get: 3B David Wright

Mets get: RHP Huston Street, RHP Edgmer Escalona, C Wilin Rosario

We all know about the Mets’ need for a closer. Nobody on the roster has been able to fill that void. Street may not be Mariano Rivera, but he’s converted 29-of-33 save opportunities this season.

Wilin Rosario is one of the best catching prospects in baseball. I love what I’ve seen from him, and he could potentially be the long-term answer at catcher.

Escalona is a promising young pitcher, but I stayed away from their top pitching prospects like Rex Brothers and Tyler Matzek. Because of that, I think this is a very reasonable trade proposal.

Personally, this offer seems too good to refuse. Yes, David is a great baseball player. Baseball is a team game, though, and this trade helps the team in so many different areas. This helps the team in the present and in the future, while saving a lot of money.

I love David, and it would be hard to see him go. But if the Rockies or another team come calling with an offer like this, Sandy should at the very least consider it.

ST. PETERSBURG — The Yankees nearly moved their top farm affiliate to Newark, N.J., for the 2012 season, but the deal was blocked by the Mets, who invoked territorial rights to stop the team from moving.

The Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees need a temporary home while PNC Field in Scranton, Pa., is refurbished, and the Yankees were interested in moving to Eagles & Bears Riverfront Stadium.

“I went there, I reviewed the place, a request was made,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “They have territorial rights that they have a right to invoke. There’s nothing more to it.”

Cano’s solo blast00:00:469/26/11: Robinson Cano crushes a homer to center field, giving the Yankees an early advantage in the top of the first inningTags: home run, Robinson Cano, New York Yankees, More From This Game, hittingShare:

Teixeira’s two-run double
Girardi on team’s strong effort
Recap: NYY 2, TB 5Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo told The Associated Press that he was disappointed, because hosting the Triple-A club could have boosted the local economy and offered more kids a chance to see future Yankees play in person.

There is also history in Newark for the Yankees; from 1932 to 1949, the Newark Bears were a Yankees farm club, seeing players like Yogi Berra pass through the ranks. But a reprise will not take place.

“We’ll find somewhere for us, rather soon, to play for Triple-A,” Cashman said. “That’s our responsibility.”

Cano bats third, Tex fifth in likely ALDS lineup
ST. PETERSBURG — With just two games remaining in their regular season, the Yankees have pulled the trigger on a lineup shuffle that could carry over into the American League Division Series.

Mark Teixeira has been replaced by Robinson Cano in the No. 3 spot against right-handed starting pitchers. Teixeira will drop to fifth in the order, and he said that he agrees with the logic behind the move.

“I think we’re going to see how it works; I don’t see why it wouldn’t work,” Teixeira said. “We’re trying to win games. And putting Robbie, the hot hand, in the third spot, it’s a great idea.”

The switch-hitting Teixeira is batting .244 with 37 home runs and 106 RBIs, but from his non-natural left side, he has hit just .221 (87-for-393) and has frequently hit into defensive shifts.

Manager Joe Girardi said that a change is something the Yankees have been talking about. He said the real motivation was the red-hot Cano, who entered play Tuesday hitting .305 with 28 homers and 118 RBIs.

“You kind of go by how guys are going, obviously,” Girardi said. “Robbie, we saw what he did last year in the last two months and in the postseason. That’s kind of Robbie’s M.O.; it seems like he gets stronger as the year goes on.”

Cano said that he recognizes increased responsibilities in hitting third, ahead of Alex Rodriguez and Teixeira.

“You have to do everything right,” Cano said. “You’re going to get pitches to hit, because you’ve got a guy behind you that they don’t want to face, either.

“It’s a situation now where I’m going to get better pitches, so I have to continue doing what I’m doing right now. That’s not going to change my mindset; I’m going to keep playing my game and swing at strikes.”

Teixeira had not batted fifth to start a Major League game since 2004, when he made 67 starts in that slot for the Rangers.

“Really, at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter at all,” Teixeira said. “I’ve hit third, fourth, fifth, and I hit fourth behind Chipper [Jones], which was great.

“I’ve hit third the majority of the time here. Like I said, Robbie’s really hot right now. As we go into the playoffs against right-handed pitching, why not have him there?”

Yanks weighing ALDS pitching possibilities
ST. PETERSBURG — The Yankees’ decision-makers huddled in the visiting manager’s office at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, conducting their first official meeting to hammer out the postseason roster.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that there was a “healthy dialogue,” but the team will have more conversations and will resume going over advance scouting information on Tuesday.

“There are certain aspects of the roster that are a lot more discussable than others,” Cashman said. “I know one thing — it’s going to be hard. We’ve got a lot of talent there.”

Cashman strongly hinted that the team has already decided on its Game 3 starter for the American League Division Series. He would not name the pitcher, but Freddy Garcia has been thought to be a front-runner.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi noted that the team will not carry 12 pitchers for the ALDS. While an 11-man staff is likely, Girardi also floated the idea of having just 10 pitchers.

“You could,” Cashman said. “But at the same time, it depends on how your pitching is pitching.”

Cashman said the biggest debates concern carrying two extra starters in the bullpen or having two extra relievers, as well as the makeup of the bench.

The only decision that hinges on who the Yankees play, Cashman said, is whether to take Raul Valdes as a second lefty out of the bullpen. A stacked Rangers lineup may make that more appealing.

“It’s a discussion point,” Cashman said. “That’s one area that it would probably apply, if you’re playing an offense with a lot of lefties and stuff like that. That could necessitate something.”

Bombers bits
• Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he plans to play all of his regulars in Wednesday’s regular-season finale against the Rays. His starting pitcher, however, won’t be announced until after Tuesday’s game.

• Entering play on Tuesday, second baseman Robinson Cano trailed center fielder Curtis Granderson by one for the league lead in RBIs, 119 to 118. The stat was not lost on Cano: “If it happens, perfect,” he said. “If not, I’m happy I had a good year and helped the team win the division.”

• Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli (concussion) will travel back to New York with the team after Wednesday’s game before having more tests performed. Cervelli did not work out at all on Tuesday.

The New York Yankees are the 2011 AL East Champions. They entered the season as clear underdogs in the division to the revamped Boston Red Sox, who had just added Bobby Jenks, Dan Wheeler, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to an already star-studded roster.

Who did the Yankees counter with with their offseason signings?

Russell Martin, Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Andruw Jones and Eric Chavez, that’s who. It was a game of young guns versus veterans, and in the end—to most everyone’s surprise—Brian Cashman’s ragtag group of elder statesmen came out on top.

However, while it is perfectly understandable to be thrilled and grateful for what these veterans have done for the Yankees this season, there is no way we can expect a repeat performance next year.

More than likely, most of the players on that shortlist will move on to other teams. Martin will stick around, and Jones and Chavez will continue to be great backups should they re-sign, but Garcia and Colon will likely sign with outside pursuers. Yankees fans will be grateful and welcome them back to Yankee Stadium with thunderous applause with their new teams, but a new era is about to begin in the Bronx, and most veterans don’t have a place in it.

The Yankees will likely try their hardest to get younger this offseason, and as with every offseason, their weapon of choice will be the free agent market.

However, this year’s free agent class is a little older than the Bombers would hope, so there are only a finite number of possibilities for them on this route.