Should New York Mets offer David Wright contract extension or leave him for free agency? - Part 1
Being far-sighted is what it means to be a General Manager. Great players always impose unpleasant predicaments. They test the management to an extent of exhaustion of their expertise. Very often a player becomes a mirage and through the power of his charisma
squeezes hefty funds out of a club, only to make the organisation repent the decision years later.
What confronts the New York Mets at the moment is a dilemma they will not want to face. The moment the fear of freezing their money for years haunts (through contract extension) them is a moment they will not like to bring in mind when David Wright bamboozles
opponents on the plate with monumental hits.
Finding him hovering around a .400 batting average and becoming a huge stimulation for the fans to throng to Citi Field can easily motivate the management for awarding a contract extension.
Will this be a rational decision or a source of aggravation of their financial woes is a question that requires analysis of the needs that the club will have in the future.
If Wright has glittered on the plate, the rest of the hitters have been equally great. What Kirk Nieuwenhuis has shown on the plate is hardly any different to what Wright has done. By attaching due weight age to his lack of experience, one can easily term
his performance as being at par with the latter. With an experience of few more years under his belt, Nieuwenhuis will be as prolific as Wright is.
Without wishing to rob Wright of his due, the fact the Mets are paying him over $15 million as salary will make it tough for the club to shoulder the same for a long time period. The proposition turns even more complicating if financially shaky condition
of the Mets is considered.
In contrast, few unsung heroes have emerged in the ranks of the Mets. They have dared to provide as much as Wright can over the course of years, at a drastically less cost.
Wright is currently 29 and is sure to witness a decline. Similar to what is happening with Jose Reyes, same reality may be awaiting him. While in the case of Jose Reyes the Mets managed to exhibit prudence, what they make of Wright may be the reverse. Management
has time-and-again hinted about his retention.
"I certainly do not foresee, under any circumstances, David being a topic of discussion at the trade deadline," said general manager Sandy Alderson.
The fact the need for a genuine ace is more pressing than that of hitter should make the club pause before they come up with the decision. Currently a bigger worry for the Mets is not their offence but a dearth of quality pitchers. Apart from Johan Santana,
most of their hurlers are depleted, prone to melt-downs and just incapable of throwing shut-out games.
Money which can be saved without Wright can be used to buy quality pitchers and therefore diversified mix of expertise can be attained. Off-course losing Wright will be huge push back to the Mets but since it will help the club utilise resources appropriately,
long run benefits will follow.
For the last many years, the Mets have suffered a famine of home-grown arms, while they have produced quality run-manufacturers. This goes to suggest that a vacuum left open by Wright will probably be filled after some years.
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
Tags: