Terry Collins said he has yet to approach Sandy Alderson about the subject, but the manager would like for Pedro Beato to go to winter ball as a starting pitcher and get consideration for a 2012 rotation spot if he succeeds.

"The fact that he's got such great movement on his fastball, commands his offspeed pitches -- there's no reason why this guy shouldn't be able to be a starting pitcher," Collins said in a televised report. "I would hope at the end of this year, with some time off -- let him rest a little bit, because he's been up and down a lot, but he really hasn't accumulated a lot of innings -- perhaps it's (appropriate) to go to winter ball to start just to see how he does it."

Collins went on to call Beato competing for a 2012 rotation spot in spring training "an option." Collins also floated Beato starting next season in the minors as a starting pitcher if the organization deems him suited for that role. (While Beato is a Rule 5 pick, that only requires him staying at the major league level this year. After the regular-season finale, he becomes Mets property and the Mets can option him to the minors if they choose.)

Beato was a starter through 2009 with the Baltimore Orioles in the minors, before they converted him to closer with Double-A Bowie last year.

Collins may want to check the '09 stats with Class A Fredericksburg before proclaiming starting the better option. In 20 starts with that club, Beato's opponent batting average was .247 in the first inning, .269 in the second, .286 in the third, .284 in the fourth, .358 in the fifth and .400 in the sixth.

Said the manager: "If he gets stretched out in winter ball where he's pitching seven or eight innings, he gets his pitch counts to 120 or so where we have a better read on how he is later in games, it would certainly help. There's nothing wrong with next year, if we decided the future is going to be in the rotation, that he doesn't start someplace else and accumulate some innings and work his way back. He's shown us that he can get major league hitters out."