The manager said he's still hopeful that general manager Sandy Alderson can re-sign Cespedes, who batted .287 with 17 homers and 44 RBIs for the Mets after the last-minute July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline deal that brought him over from the Tigers.
"I talked to Sandy today, and hopefully we'll continue to move forward [in those negotiations]," said Collins, who was in town for the annual Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation Dinner and received the Tommy Lasorda Managerial Achievement Award. "I don't know where Cespedes is at contract-wise with anybody else, but I know he wants to come back to New York if he can.