Mets look to extend Collins

The New York Mets are expected to begin negotiations with manager Terry Collins regarding a contract extension as early as today, reports Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com.

Sources: #Mets GM Alderson with team in Cincinnati. First meeting with Collins regarding extension expected today.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 23, 2013

Under Collins' guidance, the Mets have gone 222-257 since 2011, finishing in fourth place in the NL East each of the last two years. The team is currently tied for third place in the division with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Though he would not comment on the situation, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson gave Collins a glowing endorsement when asked about the negotiations, stating that he "thinks he's done an excellent job across the board with the talent he's had, with the injuries that he's had to endure, [and with] the other changes in personnel."

Collins has had a long and lustrous managerial career. After toiling out as a minor leaguer in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations, Collins began his coaching career by leading the Dodgers' Class-A affiliate in 1981. He would spend the next decade skippering various minor league teams in the Dodgers and Pirates organizations before finally being promoted to Pittsburgh as their bullpen coach in 1992, where he would serve under managing icon Jim Leyland.

Following the 1993 season, Collins was named the manager of the Houston Astros, where he would manage for the next three years, compiling a 224-197 record while finishing in second place in the NL Central all three years.

Following a late-season collapse in 1996, the Astros fired Collins at the end of the season. However, his unemployment didn't last long as the Anaheim Angels named him their manager for the 1997 season just a month later. At the helm of the Angels, Collins steered the organization to a respectable 169-155 record over his first two seasons with the team, leading the club to a second place finish both seasons. Collins' Angels would suffer through injuries and poor performances in 1999, and a player revolt would force him to resign from his position with just 29 games left in the season.

Collins signed on to skipper the Orix Buffaloes of Japan's Pacific League in 2006 and would manage there until his resignation in early 2008 following a disappointing start to the season.

Collins would join the Mets organization as a minor-league field coordinator for the 2010 season before being promoted to his current position in November of that year.