Injuries to his neck, spine, shoulder and back have limited Mets third baseman David Wright to 75 games since the start of 2015, derailing a potential Hall of Fame career. Now, having not played in a game since May 2016 and having undergone back surgery in October, Wright realizes the Mets can’t count on him heading into the new season. “It really hurts to say this, but I obviously can’t be relied on to go out there and do what I’ve done throughout my career,” the 35-year-old told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “That is a tough thing to say.” Wright added that he hasn’t made enough progress since his latest surgery to know if his back is going to hold up in 2018, though he expects to find out “closer to spring.” Unfortunately, Wright’s injuries have made the eight-year, $138MM extension he signed in 2012 a poor investment for the Mets. He’s still in line to collect $47MM over the next three years.
More from New York and two other East Coast cities:
- The Blue Jays have addressed their position player group in recent weeks with the additions of Randal Grichuk, Curtis Granderson, Yangervis Solarte and Aledmys Diaz. The club still has around $10MM left to spend, and it’s primarily focused on finding a fifth starter and bolstering its bullpen, per Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com. The Jays also “remain in the mix for backup catching depth,” Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet writes. For now, Joe Biagini is penciled in as Toronto’s No. 5 starter behind Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada. Biagini has spent the majority of his two-year career in the bullpen, however, and could shift back there in the event of an outside acquisition. In doing so, he’d presumably help a unit that lost reliever Dominic Leone in the Grichuk trade.
- The Mets have shown offseason interest in free agent right-hander Bartolo Colon, former Twins teammate Ervin Santana told Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. “He just wants to win six more games and then he will retire,” Santana said of the soon-to-be 45-year-old Colon, who’s six victories away from passing Dennis Martinez’s 245 and becoming the winningest Latin American-born pitcher ever. Colon spent 2014-16 as a Met, with whom he was a reliable fan favorite. After a subpar 2017 divided between Atlanta and Minnesota, Colon was reportedly willing to consider a minor league deal to rejoin the Mets earlier this offseason, though indications were that they weren’t all that interested.
- Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale wasn’t as effective in the second half of last season as he was during the first, which has led to a change in routine this winter for the 28-year-old ace, as he explained to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. “I’ve made a couple tweaks to my throwing this year,” Sale said. “Started a bit later trying to ease into it a little more. In terms of working out, started working out earlier, doing pilates. The same things I’ve been doing conditioning and strength wise, just kind of dialing back my throwing program.” Manager Alex Cora, pitching coach Dana LeVangie and the Red Sox trainers are all on board with the changes, per Sale, who insists it won’t mean a lighter workload in 2018. Rather, after leading the American League with 214 1/3 innings last season, he expects to be similarly durable this year.
I loved it when Sale pitched!!
Yeah, the first 4 innings of every start in the first half he was totally dominant. Almost like a closer for the first 4 innings. Insane K rate. Hitters made a bit more contact the last few innings but still tough. Farrell always seemed to go an inning too long with him which may have caused his 2nd half slide
He is likely not to have as much gas in the tank the first half this year. He pitched a lot of hi risk innings last year and there is wear and tear which will need time and patience.
If Price is slow out of the gate, or injured in 2017 it could be a house of cards with the pressure on sale.
Blah blah blah
Oh Scott, you offer so much insight.
Wright should think about possible retirement if he can’t get back on the field because of his injuries, but if he were to retire I think the Mets could use him as a special assistant.
Would you give away $47M?
I would if I already made $90 million. It’s not fair to the team if they cannot rely on him.
Maybe ask for some sort of compromise. Like a three year coaching deal for $15MM.
I hate it when casual fans say shxt like this. Wright is not forfeiting $47m! If it’s not fair to the team maybe they shouldn’t have given him that contract in the first place. No one forced them to do that.
Plus, teams take out insurance for injuries. But they never include that info for the fans…
No you wouldn’t, who are you trying to fool. Also, Arod’s salary was about 27mm, but his take home pay was like 14mm. So, yeah, he hasn’t made 90mm.
Yeah that’s not how baseball really works. Think of it as payback for the first 6 years they’re super productive but play on whatever salary they are handed.
lol
He doesn’t have to walk away from a dime, od he medically can’t play he can retire and still collect. He’s not hanging around for the money, he wants to play.
Cant we go the prince fielder right and have some kind of settlement and let Wright just let it end and spend time with his family. maybe be a special assistant to the team for a year or two so he can decide if he wants to go the coach route?
Prince is collecting every penny of his contract.
From insurance
You gotta love Bartolo. He wants the W. Find the guys that want the W!
You mean he wants a selfish statistic
So a pitcher that gives 5-6 innings and doesn’t keep his team in it is better than Colon, who wants his team to win and will pitch to do so? Nothing wrong with wanting to win. That’s why he’s been around so long.
Anything else is project wolverine or the Pirates.
Child support, alimony and his grocery bill are more reasons he’s been around so long. 😉
It might take him two or three more seasons and 3-4 more teams to get those 6 wins.
Haha,,, Go big and sexy go
Your an idiot it should take him max another 150-200 ip to hit 6 wins. Remember 5 innings gives you a win with a strong bp performance. He has the stability to do at least 100-150 ip a season
“Your an…”
He knows a lot about baseball not grammar
And sticking around like this to compile such a stat is self serving and ridiculous.
Which particular PED starting with a W does he want from those guys?
Find all the pitchers that want the W, and all the batters that want the R and those that want the RBI, and you’ll win. It’s that simple. There is no sabermetrics.
Lol, what the hell does that even mean?
I don’t know, but I feel a new meme brewing!
WAR, FIP, UZR, OPS plus are all sabermetrics…
Baseball is a business. And the more you win the more money you make. Just find the players who want to win. That’s all you do.
Want to know why the Pirates and Rays traded their respective “face of the franchise” for non-exciting returns?
Want to know why the Marlins were going to get out from under Stanton’s contract no matter what?
David Wright.
That contract/situation would destroy a low revenue franchise.
Uh, Mccutchen had one more year left on his deal.. So his contract compared to Wright makes no sense whatsoever unless you’re implying the Pirates traded him because they knew they couldn’t extend him in which case getting pennies on the dollar in return for him (and Cole) still isn’t really justified.
David Wright needs to pull a Michael Cuddyer and throw the Mets a bone by retiring. 47M over the next 3 years could be used to add to the current roster and not spent on an aged/injured former superstar who may never play again.
As much as I agree with you, $47M is a ton to walk away from. That is generational changing money.
Would you toss the Mets a $47 Million dollar “bone?”
It’s not in either his or the Mets interest for him to retire unless they can cut a deal with the company that insures his contract. The Mets are only on the hook for 25% if he’s on the DL.
The player still gets paid in medically certified inability to play again.. Prince Fielder is recent example.
I wonder if the cheapass owner of the Mets would use that money to better the team. I seriously doubt it.
Speaking of Sale I miss when all the MLBTR articles related to him used that one weird Chris Sale pic where everything was blurry and weird looking.
The guy is a twig, there are no good angles.
MLBTR, good analysis of the Jays needs and you nailed their ptiching search, except they need a #1, #3, lefty shutdown guy for the pen and quality backup for SS, Solarte and Diaz are not it.
$10 M is not going to do it for pitching. They need to trade some elite minor league pieces to obtain elite back. Otherwise this team is going nowhere without a top of the rotation starter and replacement for Estrada and Happ. Forget Sanchez, from what I hear from someon in the BlueJays room, his finger is not going to last as a starter.
They may start 2018, but time, age, lack of quality talent and depth will find the Jays out of it by the All-Star break. #scoutseyes
How do you figure they are going to pay the guys they’re trading minor leaguers for? That still works into the $10 million number.
His finger isn’t going to make it as a starter?? He had a blister problem.. Over time the blisters become calluses.. You are by far the worst on this site and every time I see your hashtag I know I will get a good laugh out of your post..
FYI, it is not a blister problem. He has already had one surgery on it where much of his nail was removed. The flesh [not skin] between his nail and the side of his finger when he releases the ball get pulverized and over a short period of time it gets schreded. No callous here.
That is why my friend beleives longterm he won’t be a starter. The medical guys in the BlueJays room don’t even know. This kind of injury has happened with others and sometimes a long layoff can heal it and sometimes not. Time will tell. My friend who has baseball experience says Sanchez is heading to the pen. I trust him and he is a lot closer to the situation that any broadcast media or fan.
I glad you like my posts and appreciate my profound brillance. #Scoutseyes
#BULLSHITEYES
#gouteyes
google.ca/amp/s/gout.newlifeoutlook.com/gout-eye-p…
He’ll eventually get bored of this BS if people stop engaging with him
Except the suppose-ed BS is accurate -just check back to the last years MLBTR pages.
Over the past 9 seasons Wright has had exactly 2 full and productive seasons. The last time he was productive on any level was 5 years ago and that was injury shortened. Even if he could play there is no reasonable expectation he would be able to contribute.
Let’s see…the Jays need pitching and back up catchers. The Cards have both and we need, imo as a fan, Josh Donaldson. While I see it as probable at the trade deadline, i don’t want to wait that long.
I’ve never understood why people insist that Wright needs to forfeit the rest of his salary. He has a contract. His shortcomings are certainly not for lack of effort. There are plenty of players out there-especially the younger ones–who are vastly under-compensated for their production because of the way the CBA works. These players may have just one shot at a big contract. I’m not going to begrudge them their money if they get injured. Look at Grady Sizemore.
Dennis Martinez > Bartolo Colon… Why would someone want to sign a PED player to help him pass a non-PED player’s record. I think teams should pass on the 87 mph fastball machine finally…
Exactly!
Blue Jays should bring in a few cheap veterans to compete for that fifth spot. If they wanted to spend a bit more, and have a more solid answer to the fifth spot, they could sign Andrew Cashner.
Wright got married and that was the end of him. I knew it would be too. I said, oh he got married. Sure enough two years later he’s done.
He’s not like other players. Hes got to stay in a disciplined military mindset and keep the distractions out.
You can’t be married if you’re someone like Wright.
This is singlehandedly the dumbest thing ever typed
Hey Sheltered…That’s what happens when you are a multi generational Mets fan. Your anger and false hope eat away and eventually you lose all sense of reality.
Guess marriage was WRONG for WRIGHT?