"Terry Collins faced a daunting task a year ago when he became Mets manager with the team's uncertain future. But at least he had Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran to write into the lineup.

Collins knows his job won't be any easier this time around and he intends to alter his approach as he gets ready for spring training next month.

"With the name changes on our roster, we need a change," said Collins, who took to Twitter yesterday to address questions from fans.

Those changes include the loss of Reyes — not to mention the traded Beltran — and little in the way of quality improvements.

Collins said he hasn't decided who the Opening Day starter will be if Johan Santana isn't ready from his recovery from shoulder surgery in September 2010.

"We're trying not to put a number on [how many innings to expect]," Collins said of the lefty. "But hopefully [we're] looking to get 25 or more starts."

It's clear he doesn't share the pessimism that most others do about the Mets."