David Wright makes New York Mets the fool as he gets an eight-year $138 million contract-Part 1
It has become a tradition in Major League Baseball that players with the tag of being a star of the franchise compel their teams for something which is beyond their capacity. David Wright is the latest individual that has upheld this.
Very smartly he first placed himself into a strong bargaining position. Before letting things go off his hands, he announced his unflinching loyalty with the club.
That ensured fans’ attachment with him, which resulted into an endogenous pressure on the officials of the club to retain him at any cost.
Even if that was equivalent of ruining future cash budget of the team. Planting that kind of notion in the club was his first and the greatest achievement in terms of fetching the contract of his liking.
It was because it set off the series of negotiations by the club in which they had only one agenda and that was signing a deal with Wright irrespective of how much it costs the organisation.
It also meant Wright could go as far as he wanted in terms of resorting to brinkmanship. As it happened, he secured his future by getting an eight-year contract extension, which off-course will include his subpar seasons down the line.
The payment of yearly salary around $15-16 million when his production slows down in the upcoming seasons will hurt the club immensely.
During the official announcement of the new deal by the club, Wright was sitting in the press conference. He spoke about how much it means to him playing for the Mets. He went on to claim that winning games for the Mets is far more satisfying for him.
As if he would never leave the club even as they offered him something less than a $138 million, he faked feelings. Assured and satisfied, he expressed his unoriginal and a forfeited love for the club.
If he is so attached with the organisation, then why he did not let the team build up a strong roster for the 2013 Major League season.
He could provide the team some leeway in addressing concerns on the roster, for example give the club a guarantee that he will not test free agency next year and that they should focus on the preparations for the upcoming season.
It is the fear from the part of the club of finding the face of their franchise joining the free agents next year that forced the Mets to give him so much importance in the on-going offseason.
It is that doubt in their mind which consumed the bulk of their energies. What is worrisome is his contract extension has nothing to do with their preparations for the 2013 season.
What matters ahead is how well the club removes discrepancies in the offence and adds relievers that can be relied upon.
While Wright expressed his loyalty during the conference, he was making the fans fools. He was trying to make them think he is selfless and seeing the Mets have match winning players on their roster is the most important thing for him. Truly it was an attempt
to show off his spurious sincerity with the club.
“I grew up watching Cal Ripken Jr., playing against Chipper Jones for these number of years, being across town from Derek Jeter,” Wright said. “I think there’s something to be said for that. … And it was very important to be able to finish what I started.”
Although Wright deferred a part of his salary in an apparent gesture of support for the club, it was just another attempt to deflect attention of the fans from his real intent.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Continued in part 2
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