10
2011
The David Wright Trade Watch Should Be On
An article by Tom Terrific (Stephen Hanks)
I was watching SNYs “Wheelhouse” tonight when one of the wheelies Eamon McAnaney gave voice to something I had already been thinking the past few days. The issue on the board was whether the Mets should consider trading Jose Reyes or David Wright or even both as the organization considers how to spend it’s meager current resources and rebuild the organization, the latter even more crucial now that Chris Young is likely down for the season and pitching depth for the team is a contradiction in terms. Frankly, even if finances weren’t an issue–and they may no longer be once the Wilpons take on a new partner–someone other than Carlos Beltran would have to go if this team is to seriously rebuild. Let’s face it, this team has won NOTHING since 2006 WITH Reyes and Wright so the team would be no worse off if one or both were moved.
For more than two years I have been wailing away on blogs and to Met fan friends about my desire to see Jose Reyes traded. Like some Met fans who aren’t swayed by his super-charged energy and the Road Runner-like triple dashes, I have been more than willing to see Reyes out of here because of the kind of stuff we saw the other day against the Dodgers; the sleep-walking on the field, the ridiculous base-running decisions, the almost complete lack of baseball intelligence in a player who mans a position that must be one of the smartest on the field. I was totally on board with the notion of Sandy Alderson moving Reyes as the key chip in bringing in a top of the rotation starter, among other things.
But as of today, like Eamon McAnaney, I’m not so sure of that anymore. I have suddenly moved into the “Keep Reyes, Trade Wright” camp.
Yes, I know David is in a hitting slump that could turn on a dime or on a string of mediocre lefthanded starters. He could start on a tear by the time I finish writing this. And that’s the problem: David Wright is no longer the steady, dependable, line-drive, contact, high average hitter he was early in his career. While he does produce runs, he is also such a streaky, high-strikeout hitter he can no longer be counted on to be an offensive leader who can be the core of the offense. Reyes is clearly the more dynamic offensive player than Wright at this point, plays a more important defensive position, and would be much harder to replace (unless the team found a dynamic second baseman that would allow them to be satisfied with Ruben Tejada at short).
Now some of this is not Wright’s fault. Since the Mets haven’t really had a cleanup hitter since the salad days of Carlos Delgado, Wright has had to take on a job he has never really been suited for once he started whiffing with regularity. How Wright is still hitting in the three hole when he is NOT the kind of bat for that spot is a mystery. Even in the current Mets lineup, Wright should be hitting fifth at best (although second might help him see more fastballs). Wright was at his most consistent when he had a plethora of good hitters around him, like on the 2006 and 2007 teams. He is a very good complementary player. He should not and can not be the focal point or the key to the offense. And with the spacious confines of CitiField in his head, he has lost his way on his hitting personality. The offensive load and leadership load is just too much for him. And perhaps it’s just me, but I also sense that he is incredibly frustrated with the losing and although he talks a good game about being a lifetime Met, I don’t think he’d be shattered if he went to a pennant-contending team in a hitter friendly park that would allow him lineup support.
As for his defense, well, he sure makes great barehanded plays on swinging bunts, but his range is average and his arm erratic. I could definitely see him being a first baseman within the next three or four years. And as far as being the “face” of the franchise? What face? The one on a franchise that has been synonymous with failure for five years running?
And yet given all the negatives I’ve just enumerated here, he’s still a solid player that would be sought after by many teams and could bring at least a number two starter, a top flight prospect, and a stop gap third baseman to replace him. Throw in Mike Pelfrey and you could have the makings of a trade that could bring back a boatload of young talent.
I’m never going to be a big Jose Reyes fan–at least until he learns how not to get picked off first in a key spot or learns how not to swing at pitches in the dirt during a key at-bat or learns not to try stealing third with two outs and a lefty up at the plate (little things like that)–but if I’m going to be totally objective and reasonable and think about what is best for the future of this organization, then it’s becoming more clear that it’s David Wright who has to be the one to go by the trade deadline.
About the Author: Stephen Hanks
Stephen Hanks (Tom Terrific) is a magazine editor and writer based in Brooklyn, NY, who has been the publisher and editorial director of publications ranging in subjects from sports to health to archaeology. Hanks began his career at the late, great SPORT Magazine in 1977 and in 1983, he co-founded NEW YORK SPORTS Magazine (which ceased publication in 1985). He has written and edited coffee table books on baseball history, penned unauthorized biographies of Bo Jackson and Wayne Gretzky, and in 1990 authored "The Game That Changed Pro Football," an oral history of the 1969 New York Jets Super Bowl Season. Stephen has also played baseball for 45 years and currently plays in an Over-40 hardball league based in Northern New Jersey. Even though he grew up near Yankee Stadium, he loathes the team from the Bronx and has been a die-hard Mets fan since attending his first game at the Polo Grounds in 1963.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 30 | .583 | - |
| Phillies | 35 | 37 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Nationals | 34 | 36 | .486 | 7.0 |
| Mets | 27 | 40 | .403 | 12.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 48 | .314 | 19.0 |
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You are so on point. I have been saying this about Wright for four years now.
It’s too bad, Rob, because like most Mets fans, I really love the kid. But frankly, he’s overrated at this point. I absolutely detest guys who strikeout too much and it’s painful to see how his offensive game has deteriorated when he was such a great contact, two-strike hitter early in his career. I’d love to know what the hell happened to him.
Apparently his recent stuggles are due to neck and back discomfort. remember that diving play he made on Carlos Lee at home in April? Apparently that did the damage.
David Wright & Jason Bay are flops in the middle of this Mets lineup! Anyone who thinks that Bernie Made-Off with the Wilpon’s money need to check the books & realize that the wrong guy is locked up! Bay & Wright are lifers too & should be in the next cell over from Bernie! The money that they’re stealing from the Mets should be more closely investigated. They’ve done it right under every Mets fan’s nose without a gun, a mask, or a scheme!!! Nightly 0 for 4′s & horrifying numbers with RISP along with K’s that we haven’t seen since the days of Dave Kingman & Rob Deer! (At least those guys could hit the ball outta the park without excuses) The Mets need to get rid of both Wright & Bay, get some good young pitching in return and sign Reyes, Then build the team around Ike Davis & Reyes along with those pitchers. They’ll get some financial relief with Beltran, Bay, Wright, & K Rod coming off the books so there can’t be any excuses about signing quality free agents.
Wright apparently has had a bad back since a collision in mid-April. He started out the season seemingly much more like the “old” Wright, the one before he became like HoJo. The back-pain could explain his recent struggles.
Barry, does a bad back explain all the other slumps and the last three years of 100-plus strikeouts?
I’m hoping that’s explained by HoJo turning Wright into a HoJo-clone. HoJo was never as good as Wright WAS, before Hojo became the hitting coach. When Wright started saying strikeouts don’t bother him, that philosophy was obviously coming from HoJo–who struck out too much himself.
Also, if you remember, in the beginning of the season, Keith was saying that Wright was back to his old self; and he (Keith) attributed the slumps to the beaning he took.
a key job of a GM is figuring out talent mismatches (that is, trading a reputation away for more than real production), and of course, not bringing in a big name that can’t back it up anymore.
If wright can bring back a boatload, then hell yeah, make the deal.
The GM’s and scouts on other MLB teams know enough that your boatload of players for Wright isn’t too likely.
his swing is funny this year… we all saw the change during spring training and in the beginning of the year when he had that leg kick… WHAT HAPPENED TO IT. he stopped using his leg kick, for reasons that have not been explained. when he had it, yes he had that 0-30 stretch, but he put up numbers. now, he cannot even produce. and i just love how ralph kiner and keith know what is wrong with these guys right of the bat, but the players don’t listen. you got a hall of famer, and a border line hall of famer telling you what to fix, and nothing. it baffles me to say the least.
I love winning more than I do David Wright. The bottom line is that he can net us a small fortune right now and he has shown that he is incapable of carrying a team. Even when he has been on fire over the years, the Mets would play no better than .500. The Mets had nobody as good as Wright in 1969, 1973 and 1986 and yet those teams won because they had players with swagger. He is our best hitter, but what major league pitcher fears pitching to him? Nobody does. I’ve come to realize for all his glossy stats, they rarely translate into wins and that’s what should be paramount. Heck when Reyes is on fire the team will reel off 5,6,7 wins in a row, but not Wright. We could get a ton for him. Let’s do it.
Agree completely. Sign Reyes to reasonable money 5/90 get it done.
Problem is, why would Reyes sign for 5 years when he can probably get 6-7 in FA?
Wait what? The Mets had nobody as good as Wright in 1986???? WHAT??????
Wright is owed 2 more years…he would definitely have a higher return than Reyes, who is owed 4 more months. Trading Wright and building a team around Reyes is the obvious choice. Wright has been on a decline since 2008, whereas, Reyes has been the leader of this team (with the exception of 2009, when he was injured). Reyes is an above average defensive SS and a premier leadoff hitter and menace on the bases…what does Wright bring to the Mets besides strikeouts, occasional HR’s, and average (at best) defense? Reyes is the guy to build a team around (and Ike), not Wright.
Incidentally, Bay is beginning to look like a huge bust
A lot of knowledgeable baseball people were saying this before the Mets signed him. Why didn’t Boston keep him and the Mets overpaid a lot for this guy.
If other posters say Wright has a bad back that explains his slump, how would he pass a trade contingent on passing a physical?
From MLB.com:
Most Mets find it difficult to keep their injuries hidden from the public. David Wright managed to do it for nearly a month.
Wright has been playing through back pain for three full weeks, the third baseman admitted Monday, following an April 19 diving tag play at third base.
“I just felt some discomfort in my back,” Wright said, downplaying the injury. “There’s a difference between being banged up and being hurt.”
Wright has been receiving regular treatment for his back ever since lunging to tag Astros outfielder Carlos Lee in the third inning of an April 19 game at Citi Field. He has not missed a game since, with his production remaining relatively steady — Wright hit .250 with two home runs prior to the play at third base and has hit .230 with three home runs since, with comparable on-base and slugging percentages.
But Collins believes the back issue has prevented Wright from replicating his career norms at this point in the season.
“I do believe it has something to do with it, yes,” Collins said. “But David Wright will never make it as an excuse. He never has. He even hasn’t to me when I’ve asked him about it. It’s not an issue to him, but I happen to think there’s got to be something, because this guy’s just too good a hitter to run through the streak he’s going through.”
“For more than two years I have been wailing away on blogs and to Met fan friends about my desire to see Jose Reyes traded. Like some Met fans who aren’t swayed by his super-charged energy and the Road Runner-like triple dashes, I have been more than willing to see Reyes out of here because of the kind of stuff we saw the other day against the Dodgers; the sleep-walking on the field, the ridiculous base-running decisions, the almost complete lack of baseball intelligence in a player who mans a position that must be one of the smartest on the field.”
I saw what you saw, and there were a few boneheaded plays. But Jose’s overall contribution is terrific, if you allow for a couple of injury-plagued years. The guy is great. Ruben Tejada is down (or up if you look at the map) in Buffalo, supposedly to fill in at SS in case Jose leaves. The difference in talent between Jose and Ruben, is immense. Ruben is good, but Jose to me is a once in a lifetime player. So I want Jose (and a healthy Wright) to stay with the Mets.
I’m not sure that an IQ test, or an EQ test for that matter, does justice to Jose or is relevant. I don’t care what those numbers are. I’m also not sure Jose wouldn’t score a good IQ mark. It doesn’t matter. His pickoff at 1B is something I blame on the coaching. On earlier plays, when Jose returned to 1B, why didn’t Mookie tell him that he was doing it wrong? The Dodgers noticed it. Jose certainly would have listened to Mookie.
I would suggest to anyone who is unhappy with David Wrights performance to look at his splits from last year and tell me what you see!
First this year…
April BA .240 OBP .328 SLG .442
May BA .241 OBP .405 SLG .310
Last year
April BA .273 OBP .430 SLG .506
May BA .248 OBP .308 SLG .448
And then…
June BA .404 OBP .447 SLG .683
David has been a slow starter and picks up and makes a lot of his numbers in June where the temps rise, the ball carries and he corrects his tendency to swing at the low outside breaking ball.
There should be NO DISCUSSION about who to trade until the deadline approaches and even then only when a decent idea of what we will get in return is presented.
You don’t just trade david Wright to make a trade, you trade him because you will get much more in return than what he alone gives you.
And we certainly can’t base what he gives us on April and May where he is notoriously slow to start (since the move to Citi) and then blows away June to get into the All Star game!
There’s that darn making sense approach again, Metsie!
However, I’ll echo what so many fans say during the games: “Why does he have to suck so bad when we need him so badly?”
The frustration drives me nuts; last night’s loss was emblematic. I certainly am willing to be frustrated through half the season.
Last night I felt more convinced than ever that all of our great “remnants” from 2006 will never ever get us to the promised land. I’ve been stubbornly clinging to the idea that we just never have had the right configuration, but that the essential ingredients are there with Beltran, Reyes, and Wright. Dunno. I hate to give up on what seems so promising.
wright should be traded.mostly because he CANNOT hit at citi field.he is not suited to play at citi.that park is ruining him.you have to be a real power hitter or a good line drive hitter with speed.fly ball, gap hitters go to die at citi field.how many hard hit balls go to the gap just do die out at the warning track. i truly believe the park is more responsible for our hitters failures.the size of the park is in their head.they’re all seem to be looking for that one pitch to hit 500ft., because if they don’t crush it, it’s just gonna be a fly ball out.
He hits plenty in CitiField! What he doesn’t do is hit a ton of Bombs that everyone seems to want him to (including David Himself!) as if he is Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols.
David Wright is a #3 hitter just as Keith Hernandez was our #3 Hitter.
Keith didn’t jack 30-40 HRs every year? Why are we expecting Wright (who is similar in hit type to Keith Hernandez) to hit HRs when he is really just a High BA Line Drive hitter who uses the entire field, hits the gap and OCCASIONALLY will Jack one out if you make a big mistake on the mound!
The only difference is Keith had a good eye and always kept his approach to bat ball contact and situational hitting where David seems to just swing as hard as he can and hope to connect!
And why is that?
Because YOU, THE MEDIA, supposed EXPERTS, and even DAVID WRIGHT HIMSELF, have concluded he is a HR hitter and if he doesn’t have 40 HRs the problem must be the fences he isn’t claering and not the fact that he isn’t making good contact to hit it out due to swinging at anything outside that can extand his hands to jack a HR and striking out!
You don’t get to 40 HRs by WILL, You get there by not trying to hit HRs just hit the ball well!
Metsie, I have to say I don’t think DW is a HR hitter at ALL. If you look at his portfolio of work, his best days (where he was a 30/30, 100+ RBIs, and high OBP) were when he had a wingman like Delgado or a fully operational Beltran. I disagree that he’s a #3 hitter though. He’s a 5 for sure.
Well Coop he is the #3 Hitter type was what I was trying to get accross (and not anywhere as good as Hernandez when actually compared)
But he is swinging like a clean up hitter which would be fine if he actually was the only cleanup hitter we had but he is not!
He is a powr hitting not a HR hitting type batter!
As Clint was fond of saying…
“A Man has got to KNOW his LIMITATIONS”
If he stayed within himself and hit for average not distance he would be getting the distance because he would hit more of the ball, Uppercut less, Lay off the outside pitch or try and take it the other way, and just concentrate Good part of the Bat on the Ball. Then Physics will send a lot more balls out of the park naturally!
I gotcha Metsie. It’s all good.
Metsaddict has simply hit the nail on the head. It blows my mind that CitiField’s dimensions would be compromised for ONE player. One stinking player who is given the title “Face of the Franchise” who as TomTerif eloquently said, face of a franchise that is a joke in most baseball forums. Meanwhile back at camp nobody else (esp the opposition) have any problem whatsoever hitting them out of CitiField. And down the RF line the dimensions are shorter than Shea Stadium (330 as opposed to 338). That said, David Wright’s talents are realized when he’s someone’s wing man. Look at Scotty Rolen. When he became Albert Pujols’ wingman, he flourished. David Wright is a good player but he is not the best player. It may be time to look at the best fit for him because it’s clearly not in Flushing.
I will say this on a side note…
If you can name the “FACE of the franchise” the you reslly don’t have a franchise! Just a bunch of guys who aren’t getting the job done and one guy you THINK can all by himself!
I bet if we asked who was the face of the franchise back in 86 we would have a roster full of FACES! LOL
The field is nothing more than feeding the PSYCHOSIS that David Wright should hit more HRs and if we moved in the fences he actually WOULD except for the fact he doesn’t hit them away when the fences are more normal either!
David is trying to make up for fences that are not really a problem to any HR hitter!
Ike seems to have no issues and the MoZone happens to be the part people blame the most for david’s problem!
Ike hits opposite field HRs too to the DEEPEST parts of the field even!
It’s in David’s HEAD! If we repainted the dimensions and told David we moved in the fences but didn’t, he would be hitting them out to EVERY part of the field because when he gets all of the bat on the ball he has power enough to clear the fence.
All he has to do is swing level, Concentrate on good contact and his natural ability, strength and good contact will send many apples a flashing and we won’t be worried about David Wright anymore!
The Face of the Franchise observation is actually a very astute one — one I hadn’t thought of yet myself. Wow! I was in one of the team stores at the game over the weekend and the amount of marketing put towards David Wright is obscene. His likeness is everywhere. If he goes, the Mets will basically have to redesign their stadium!
Bottomline Coop is it is a team sport and the individual success is always based on the success around you that creates the condition needed for individual achivevment!
“If you can name the “FACE of the franchise” the you reslly don’t have a franchise!”
Derek Jeter called. He’d like to disagree.
Yeah How much is he contributing over there these days?
Funny they asked Sabathia to be in the Pepsi commercial, I didn’t see Jeter there!
“Why does he have to suck so bad when we need him so badly?”
If at the end of the season he has only 80 RBI then I could possibly lend credence to that statement.
The other side says “Why were we in a position where David was the only one who could save us in the first place? Why isn’t the rest of the team preventing that? Is David supposed to carry this team?”
I am in the middle, I personally believe that whatever problems David is having in the clutch are mainly mental. In fact most of his problems are easily correctable if he even has the miniscule brain of a slug they are just that simplistic.
David is too busy trying to show Power! He is hitting for power and the result is more likely to be a K than a hit! Because his swing for power is too uncontrolled!
Wright needs to concentrate on the Average not the power. Then he will concentrate on Contact instead, hit more of the ball and the HRs will come naturally! He is strong enough to do it but for every bit of extra power he tries to add he loses that much amount in Bat control….MORE Ks! Less everything else!
SO a guy who should be hitting for high average (and I will point out a double clears the bases as much as a HR does!) is hitting for power and doing nothing to score them.
@metsie, kieth hit for average didn’t strike out 170 times a year.kieth was a good line drive hitter who didn’t try to lift every pitch he swung at.wright is not a number three type hitter anymore.i’m not saying he is supposed to be a power hitterm,ur putting words in my mouth.citi is not condusive to wrights style of play.” he hits plenty in citi” yeah right, that’s why since citi was biult david had his two worst seasons.since citi was biult david has changed his whole approach at the plate.he went from being a great 3rd hitter to a strike out prone wanna be power hitter(which he is not).i liked him when he was a young player he had a better idea and approach then.he has regressed as a player.you gonna try to tell me he is a better player now.
Since you quoted me, I’ll respond: I don’t expect him to carry the team, just to be one of the team’s finest players. If he were a .300 hitter right now, I’m fairly certain we would have won at least three-four more games than we have. In other words, we’d be somewhat competitive in our division. Unless guys like Murphy and Bay start hitting also, we will keep dropping. Unfortunately, Wright’s sucked when we needed him, and that’s why he’s hitting about .240 as we head into the season’s second fifth.
You’re right, by mid-September, he’s likely to have at least 25 dingers and close to 100 RBIs, and the Mets will be somewhere like 22-25 games behind the Phils or Braves
Russel I was quoting the guy who quoted you so my response was in the context of what THEY said not in response to your use of the quote….
I agree if David had performed to his average (which he hasn’t early and hasn’t early since he started playing in Citi) we would have won more games.
But his AVERAGE are those 25 dingers and 100 RBIs.
And as long as he gets it once the season is done it is dufficult to blame him for anything but inconsistency. What your not getting now you get in spades at some other point in the season. The solution is to get someone who does that when David isn’t so when David is Off someone else gets those runs in.
Thats basically all I was saying in regards to what he does. There will be good david and Bad David and provided together they give you David Wright it shouldn’t really matter what months you got it in…You GOT IT eventually!
I’m really lovin this post, it was even worth a second read, very nice job and very well said. I don’t know where all the David Wright fan club is but it’s great to see that most on this thread agree. Lets get MAX VALUE for Wright now! He is a solid player who is far too overrated by too many Mets fans. I never saw a three hitter who just tenses up like he does when he’s in a big spot. Keith Hernandez has him pegged and he should know. Trade him, and until that happens bat him fifth!
When the mets contended in 2006 they had two players in the lineup who were beter than Wright was offensively. There is no need to trade Wright per se. I am not against it. But it is not a strategicnecessity. The error in their ways is in expecting Wright to be a centerpiece, when he is supporting cast. Very good supporting cast, mind you, but only that. He will get paid like a superstar (and Reyes too if they resign him)and render them unable to get anyone else. If the mets think they will get to the promised land with Reyes and Wright as their featured players, they will need a starting rotation like the Phils and a closer like Mariano to do it.
Guys I can’t tell you how much fun it has been to read such intelligent debate from my original post. So many great points on both sides. Some observations on various points made above: First, you cannot be a three hole hitter when you k as much as David does now. But what is the chicken and the egg? Did he become a high strikeout guy when he felt he needed to be the big power guy which was exascerbated by playing in a big park? David has basically become Gary Carter with more ks and a higher average. Since Jason bay has basically become Ray Knight the heart of the order should be Davis, Beltran, David and Bay. Second, you cannot win in baseball without pitching, pitching, pitching. While it always scares me to trade a very good everyday player for a pitcher, I don’t think Beltran will bring back enough so we’ve got to consider rebuilding the system by dealing David. Third, I would bet money on alderson bringing in the fences next year. If that’s in the cards, do we keep David and see what happens? I still think Collins would sit him down and tell him to stop thinking of homerins and drive the outside pitch to right like he did in the good old days.
Keep up the good chat guys (and ladies).
From a loyal met fan and college baseball player i will tell you what the mets need to do. TRADE WRIGHT, he can be replaced REYES CANNOT BE REPLACED! I swear to god if they trade reyes i will stop watching baseball. all wright does is go on mind boggling slumps which can be predicted, never get a big hit in the clutch, strikeout like its the thing to do, and makes up for it when nobodys on base or in a situation in the game that doesnt really matter. Reyes is a one of a kind all around player that can hit a single and turn it into a double or triple most of the time by his stealing ability. A leadoff hitter is the most important order and hes a great one when healthy. Also a grest fielder with unlimited range and a cannon.mets need to build around reyes and davis,trade wright and bay for young solid pitching.