Why the Mets did the Wright thing

     Earlier this week the Mets formally announced that David Wright and the team agreed to terms on an 8-year, $138 million contract which will keep him at Citi Field's hot corner through 2020 and likely, the rest of his career.  This is arguably the best move the Mets have made since shipping prospects to the then Florida Marlins for a certain future Hall of Famer in Mike Piazza. 

     Wright has been the face of the franchise for the past several years and has been an impact player since making his Major League debut in 2004.  David has made it known that while growing up in Norfolk, Virginia he would go to several Tides games and became a Mets fan.  I had a similar calling to the blue and orange.  Living in Binghamton I have seen several B-Mets climb the ranks to Flushing, Wright included.  So to hear a man that has become my favorite player say that he couldn't imagine playing for any other team, brought as big a smile to my face as it did his during the press conference.
  
  There are some that were calling for the Mets to trade Wright a few years ago after Citi Field more or less zapped his power.  But there was little available to make the trade worth even thinking about.  Much to my pleasure.  But when rumors were flying that the two sides might not come to terms and that Wright may leave for "greener" pastures, I began to worry.

     It was extremely hard to watch the other face of the franchise, Jose Reyes leave for the sunny beaches of Miami (only to be traded to the frozen tundra of Toronto a year later).  To see David leave just a year (or two) later would have been heartbreaking.

     For a team that came within outs of heading to a World Series in 2006, it's all been downhill from there.  The collapses of '07 and '08, the injury plagued seasons of '09 and '10, Bernie Madoff, Jason Bay, Oliver Perez, Francisco Rodriguez, Andres Torres, Ramon Ramirez, etc. etc.  Wright leaving would just be adding salt to the wound. 

     There were many reasons why this deal needed to get done.  1) Attendance has been down because the team hasn't been, well, good.  2) Ownership has been crying poor after the Bernie Madoff scandal and hasn't brought in big names since the days of Omar Minaya.  3) The poor economy makes attending Major League games a lot harder than it used to.  Granted, ownership can't be replaced as easily as a GM or a manager, but if the fans had any say, the Wilpons have certainly been on the hot seat for a while.  All of the dislike for the Wilpons came to a head last offseason with Reyes's departure. 

    They needed something to present to the fans that says "we're still here and we still care."  So, by signing David to the extension, they built that facade.  Now, to further prove it they need to fulfill their promises to Wright by actually making a commitment to winning. 

     David needed to sign the extension because of what the game means to him.  He'll admit (however painful it is for Mets fans to hear) that he looks up to Derek Jeter and Chipper Jones.  He also admires Cal Ripken Jr, but who doesn't.  These players are at the top of David's list because they've spent their entire careers with the same team and been the faces of their respective franchises.  To win with a team that isn't the Mets would not hold nearly the same meaning as it would if he wins in Queens. 

     I think it's pretty clear why the fans benefit to having #5 in blue and orange.  With the exception of Ed Kranepool, and players that didn't stay in the bigs for very long, no other player has spent their entire career in a Mets uniform.  Seaver was traded, Ryan was traded, Gooden, Strawberry, Alfonzo, and Reyes all left.  Even Piazza eventually left, even though he didn't debut with New York.  So to have that career ambassador that will one day either be in the front office or the broadcast booth is great for the fans.  It gives them a face to rally around, a person with whom to identify for years and decades to come.

The only problem with all the media reports saying that "it keeps him here for the rest of his career," is kind of a puzzling.  Wright turns 30 later in December meaning that he'll be 38 by the time the contract expires.  Now, 38 for a baseball player is definitely past-prime, but isn't the end.  So there is a chance that at 38 the Mets won't want to commit to the aging third baseman.  But I suppose the thought is, who else will, so, New York can offer him 2-3 years for $4-5 million a year and call it a day, bringing a happy, lifelong marriage to a fitting close.