There has been talk festering throughout the Mets’ blogosphere that the Mets should admit that they are going nowhere fast, swallow their pride and trade David Wright away for prospects while he still has some value.
Wait, what? You mean trading the franchise and the effervescent face of the franchise?
Well, before we dismiss it totally, as Brian Joura pointed the other day, Wright appears headed toward his worst season with the Mets, at least when it comes to OPS. So, the thought here is sell now, while the Mets can get the most return for him before Wright really becomes a liability (both on the field and on the payroll).
However, we have to look at the bigger picture. Wright has done so much for this franchise while giving his heart and soul to this club and the last thing the franchise should do is alienate most of the fanbase and trade him away.
How soul-crushing would that be to accept?
Wright is everything you want in a player. He does his job day in and day out, never complains and above all, produces. He has been a mainstay in the Mets’ lineup for roughly a decade. You don’t reward that loyalty and undying faith by trading him.
One of the main reasons the Mets locked up Wright to a seven-year deal worth $122 million was to show they wanted to build around Wright and also appease the fanbase. After they received flak for letting Jose Reyes walk, the Mets did not want to seem they were totally giving up and masquerade as a small-market team.
True, Mets’ ownership has let us down and there is a laundry list of complaints we have legitimate gripes about, but they committed themselves to Wright, and as fans, so should we.
Look, Wright is going to decline. That is just the natural order of things, especially a player in their 30s. What the Mets have to do is start to spend, make the right trades and put a better team around Wright, so it can hide some of his liabilities. Signing Curtis Granderson was a nice start, but more must be done.
It’s only fair to Wright. Even throughout his struggles this year, and outside of Daniel Murphy having himself a fine season, Wright still has to be considered the Mets most-trusted hitter this year.
Simply put, on the list of reasons why the Mets are struggling this year, Wright is nowhere near the top of that list.
While nice in theory, trading Wright is not the solution. It would only open up the franchise for even more ridicule.
The Mets have continue building on the good pitching they have, acquire some much-need protection for Wright and let him finish his career in style.
He’s earned that much.
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What fan base Dan?
I’d see what we could get for:
Wright
Colon
Dice-K
Granderson
Duda
And add Chris Young
Trading Wright would be the final straw for me….
I believe he has a full no trade clause. The thought of trading him is preposterous.
You’re right. He got the no trade clause in his new contract but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. When he signed his contract, he was only a couple of months away from his 10-and-5 rights kicking in.
Was wondering who would play third base then Dan? The Met payroll would be down to less than 60 million. Not exactly what the fans are clamoring for since Colon and CY will probably be moved at the trading deadline.
Pete … we’ve got about 46 minor league/major league 3B.
Murphy
Flores
Satin
Campbell
Lutz
#1 – You don’t trade Wright for more magic beans.
#2 – this is classic sell low, fan-driven drivel. He’s at a .445 clip for June
#3 – but he was .821 OPS for May
#4 – and his career OPS is .879
I’ll ask the same question I’ve done before.
Which of these things is not like the others?
He has a team friendly contract. He’s done everything asked of him. It’s not his fault that he’s constantly surrounded by fringe major league hitters. At least Granderson has the ability to hit home runs and force pitchers to actually pitch to Wright. So when will the Mets be in a competitive mode? I know Cruz and Drew were long shots but if Alderson is so shrewd about finding hidden value why did Morse wind up in SF? Young is a bust. Having such a limited budget to begin with why take such a gamble? The pitching will be better next year but the offense will still be non-existent. Oh I still wouldn’t trade Wright. Need to have a reason to go to Citimorgue.
Mets need to trade him overated doesn’t hit in the clutch. Get shortstop 2nd baseman outfielder relief pitching. Contact hitters who don’t strike out put Murphy at third based. Trade duda also.
People who write about trading for the sake of trading are just bored. You can’t trade away every single guy at the first sight of struggling.
I don’t even know why we are even entertaining this thought, i have a better chance of winning the lottery than Wright being traded away this year.
Wright is only 31 and still has at least a few more good seasons in him. Fans talk about the lack of 1-franchise players in the game, and when one is more than half way there, some want to trade him away?
Fans are too enamored with the idea of trading. Realistically, you make 1, at most 2 deals in a season. Trading away 5-6 guys is in 5-6 separate deals is unreasonable and just fantasy talk.
I am not on the “trade DW” side of things – I think that is a pretty ridiculous notion. DW, Murphy, and Lagares are, in my opinion, our core offensive weapons and should form the nucleus for the remainder of DW’s contract. Murphy should get extended for 4 years / 40-45 million.
However, to play devils advocate a bit – I DO believe DW’s performance this season, to this point, is one of the big problems. He has been wildly inconsistent, and this latest slump is perhaps the worst of his career. Coming into the season, one of the keys to contending was for DW to play like an MVP. While he will likely start at 3B in the all star game, he is certainly not deserving of that based on stats alone. He has become primarily a singles hitter in the 3 hole. He’s not walking. And his fielding has declined this year. Yes, he can still make the barehanded scoop with the best of them, but his arm strength, accuracy, and occasional inability to initiate the double play have cost the mets runs, and as in San Fran, victories.
As a captain – he also needs to light a fire in the clubhouse more than we’ve seen. I remember 2 seasons ago when he was barking up and down the dugout if he disagreed with a move or was upset with a play. Now, after every routine grounder to 2B that ends an inning, he simply takes his helmet off, puts it on the ground, and goes back to 3B. One gets the feeling he has crossed the threshold from patience with the organization’s plan he was sold, to wishing he tested the free agency market.
I think it’s going to take a lot more than 40 million to extend Murphy. If he’s as valuable as you say than 60 million for his prime years would be more reasonable. i get the feeling he’s not going to give the Mets a friendly extension.
Couldn’t have said it better Eric. Wright is the captain and he should be firing up the troops verbally, not leading by example. Wright needs a good swift kick in the butt to remind him he needs to be more outspoken when a team slumps as bad as this team has. If Wright is too quiet, then enlist the help of Abreu, Granderson and Niese to motivate this team in the right direction.
I’ve got a bad feeling these players are too complacent today and complacency is the norm. It soon will be too late versus just it’s to bad they don’t act.
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Wright for prospects, stupid, idiotic, plan dumb. These deals don’t work out. Wright is in a slump for the past 3 weeks. It will pass. He will start hitting again. He doesn’t have to hit homeruns. Even hitting singles, and timely fly outs to the outfield, he would have had 10 to 15 more RBI’s, since this slump started.
Do you trust Sandy Alderson to make a good trade? He hasn’t made one good trade since he was hired. The results of the Beltran, Pagan and Dickey trades look terrible at this point.
The only advantage to trading David would be for the owners. Who would pocket his salary. Some prospects work out, but “overwhelming most” don’t.
All this talk about trading Wright and Murphy. Why not trade Lagares too? Then we can have 9 auto out All Stars.
Trade David Wright, that would as stupid as trading the Cy Young Award winner for prospects, the jewel of which can’t hit major league pitching well enough to stay above the Mendoza Line. It would be as stupid as letting your all star short stop go or signing the wrong free agent. Collins is a good manager hamstrung by questionable front office decisions. Trade away the your last home grown star position player!? I’ve been a Mets fan since 1962 and Things are not progressing. No one’s talking about trading David if somebody had gotten some decent relief pitching or developed some!