Todd Frazier is the Mets man at 3B costing $17 million over 2-years. Shouldn't Wright do the right thing and retire?
The Mets have apparently moved on from waiting for David Wright to return after Todd Frazier age 32, signed a 2-year $17 million dollar deal. In 2017 Frazier started with the Chicago White Sox and ended the season with the Yankees. Collectively, Frazier hit 27 HRs, but batted just .213.
However, Frazier, a 2x All Star, is an excellent fielder who can hit for power. In 2016 he hit 40 HRs with 98 RBIs for Chicago. Frazier is a career .245 hitter who is sure-handed as well as a local product from Tom's River, New Jersey.
This move should force the long-awaited retirement of Mets' Captain David Wright who's played a mere 75 games since 2015. Wright now 35, had rotor cuff surgery in 2017 and didn't play a single game.
The Mets best third baseman ever, David Wright was hoping to back on the field in 2018, but that is not happening again. His spring training debut never materialized and was ordered by Dr. Robert Watkins in LA not to resume any baseball activities for at least 8-weeks due to shoulder and arm soreness.
He's had two surgeries post the neck surgery he had in 2016 including rotator cuff surgery in 2017 to fix the shoulder impingement problem he had that didn't allow him to throw the ball properly.
Wright is a very expensive Captain who was a cheerleader in 2017. He sat firmly on the Mets bench. On April 20th in 2017 he was moved to the 60-day DL with a shoulder impingement since he can't throw.
Wright has three more years left on his huge 8-year, $138 million contract he signed in 2012. This season he's slated to make $20 million, in 2019 $15 million and in 2020 $12 million.
If he misses 60-days or more, the Mets are paid 75% of his salary from insurance. The team Captain has no doubt been a solid face of the Mets franchise for so long, but he simply can't play anymore. Certainly not at the level he once did. Or at best, he's a very expensive part-time player who might?, maybe? play 50 games a season. And to pay him $20,000,000 per year for part-time services, makes absolutely no dollars and sense.
The Mets didn't trade for a full-time third baseman last season and instead went for a make-sense, cost efficient, stop-gap solution via ex Met Jose Reyes and re-signed Wilmer Flores.
Jose Reyes spot started the Mets expensive hot corner player. Reyes overall played reasonably well last season (15 HRs 58 RBIs and batted .246) and got better fielding third over time.
David Wright lasted just 37 games 2016. In constant pain, Wright decided to have season-ending neck surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck last summer.
Wright shortened 2016 season resulted in 7 HRs 14 RBIs batting .226. His playing career now is definitely in doubt after 12 seasons and at age 34 with significant past and current injuries.
If he retires, will Wright's numbers be good enough to be the third Mets player to make it to Cooperstown? Wright is a seven time All-Star who has slugged 242 HRs and posted a .296 batting average. He's batted in 100+ RBIs five times, hit over .300 seven times and hit 30 or more homers twice.
The Mets and their GM Sandy Alderson can't drag this situation out much longer. Wright and the Mets need to collectively plan his farewell to the Mets, their fans and all of Baseball. All parties involved will be happier. Wright still gets paid plenty and the Mets get a huge (75% discount) on the balance of his contract.
With the signing of Todd Frazier, David Wright should clearly see it's time to retire with pride.
