Omar Minaya Will Be Back Next Season

With the New York Mets struggling through injuries all season and well out of the NL East race, it's no surprise that Mets fans aren't happy with the way 2009 has played out. Throw in some Tony Bernazard right crosses and general manager Omar Minaya has been feeling the heat.

So while there are plenty of Mets fans who wouldn't mind seeing Minaya gone after the 2009 season, Mets owner Fred Wilpon came out on Sunday and said that both Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel are going to be back with the team next season.

Mets owner Fred Wilpon, who almost never speaks to the media, told the New York Post in Sunday's editions that Minaya will "absolutely" be back in 2010. It was the biggest public vote of confidence Minaya has received since his handling of the Tony Bernazard fiasco angered ownership and put him under increased scrutiny.

"Am I going to bring Omar back next year?" Wilpon told the paper. "Absolutely. That's a fact."

The story also quoted Minaya as saying manager Jerry Manuel is "my guy," indicating he, too, will be back next season.

This isn't exactly the most shocking news considering Minaya just received a four-year contract extension last September. Plus, as easy as it is to blame general managers and managers for a team's problems, the Mets have placed an average of roughly 2.3 players on the disabled list every day. At least, it seems that way.

Of course, with all that being said, if the Mets come out next year and continue to struggle I wouldn't be shocked to see both Minaya and Manuel gone before the season is over.