After a season in which Wally Backman led Binghamton (AA) to a 65-76 mark and served on Terry Collins’ coaching staff in September without incident, the former Mets 2B / serial candidate for managing the parent club is said to be mulling a move south, writes the New York Post’s Mike Puma.
The fiery Backman, 52, is considering the possibility of joining Davey Johnson’s coaching staff with the Nationals — likely as the third-base coach. The Nationals have not yet officially announced Johnson will return next season, but that is considered a formality.
The source said 68-year-old Johnson may look to groom Backman for the managerial job, much in the same manner Bobby Cox took Fredi Gonzalez under his wing with the Braves before retiring. Johnson was Backman’s manager with the Mets in the 1980s, a run that culminated with a World Series title in 1986.
Backman is the front runner to manage at Triple-A Buffalo next season if he stays with the Mets, but he is not a candidate for the major-league staff. The Mets recently picked up Collins’ option for 2013, and Backman could view the Nationals’ coaching opportunity as a quicker path to managing in the big leagues.
Well, yeah, if he’s betting on Davey’s health getting worse.