Is Mets owner Fred Wilpon a) overly impressed with the emergence of Omir Santos, b) fully aware a rash of injuries and the effects of the Bernie Madoff swindle cannot be blamed on his General Manager or c) just happy someone else takes the heat?  Or perhaps some combination of all of the above?  In any event, the region’s no. 1 Brooklyn Dodgers fan told the New York Post’s Mike Puma, “Am I going to bring Omar back next year?…Absolutely. That’s a fact.”

Wilpon, who had agreed to answer only one question, then disappeared through a corridor near the Mets clubhouse at Citi Field.

The Post later approached Minaya and repeated Wilpon’s comment, but the GM played it coy when he was asked if the same message had been conveyed to him by Wilpon.

Nevertheless, Minaya made it clear that if he’s returning, so is manager Jerry Manuel.

“Jerry is my guy,” Minaya said. “We work well together.”

“I will continue to work hard every day,” Minaya said. “That’s the only way I know how to work.”

This qualifies as a minor scoop for Puma, so I’m loathe to criticize the Post scribe’s decision to ask the elder Wilpon about Minaya’s status with his one question.  Had I been in that position, however, I’d have opted for “true or false?  – you have less money in your checking account than Lenny Dykstra.”