Terry Collins won’t commit to the New York Mets beyond the 2017 season.
The 67-year-old manager said Thursday the upcoming season could be his last, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com.
“I just need to re-evaluate at the end of this coming year what’s going on, where I am, how I’m feeling,” Collins said. “I’ve always said a lot of it will be dictated by how I’m feeling. This was a tough year.”
The 2016 season was a strenuous one for the oldest manager in the majors, featuring an assortment of injuries to key players like David Wright, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and others. Despite the issues, the Mets were still able to reach the postseason with an 87-75 record before losing to the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card Game.
In addition to the stress involved in coaching, Collins also cited the travel as holding him back:
It takes a toll on everybody. You talk to the players. If you noticed, that [Labor Day game] was the day we gave everybody off because they were stinking beat. This travel is hard, especially with the late-night scheduling that is prevalent throughout baseball. There are so many night games where you’re traveling after the game and getting into towns at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. And the next thing you know, if you ever have a day game pop up on you, it’s tough to do.
Collins has managed the Mets for six seasons, compiling a 481-491 record in that span. He led the squad to the World Series in 2015 and became just the second manager in franchise history to take the team to the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
Prior to his time in New York, he spent six years managing the Houston Astros and the then-Anaheim Angels during the 1990s and has a 925-925 record in his career.
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