Where Could New York Mets Trade David Wright?
If you caught my post last week, you would know that I think the best decision for the New York Mets is to start from scratch. That means trading David Wright and Jose Reyes in exchange for salary relief and, more importantly, young prospects that spark the rebuilding process and help the New York Mets become a threat in the National League again. Now, my current stance is that if the New York Mets are willing to trade David Wright or Jose Reyes then they should trade them both. I can be swayed on keeping Jose Reyes because he is absolutely perfect (when healthy) for the type of team that the New York Mets need to put together. David Wright is a different story though. He’s a great player, but I am confident that the New York Mets can replace the production that he provides – especially with him playing half of his games at Citi Field.
The first thing that needs to happen before any trade rumors can come to fruition is David Wright returning to action. Wright has been out since May 16 with a stress fracture in his lower back. He needs to return to the field so he can prove that he is healthy and show teams that he is still the productive offensive and defensive force that can perhaps take a team from challenger to contender. If he proves that he is still that type of player, teams will be willing to trade for him and possibly sign him to an extension. This is where money comes in. Wright is a free agent after 2012 (the club holds a 2013 option that Wright may void if traded) and most teams are not going to trade away top prospects in exchange for one year of a player’s production. If a team acquires Wright via trade, he will probably receive an extension – my rough estimate is a deal in the neighborhood of 4 years/$50 million. A lot depends on if and how he performs in the second half. I apologize if I insult anyone’s intelligence but the most important factor is a team’s need for a 3B. The Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nats are not going to try to trade for David Wright. Those are only a couple of obvious examples, but several teams (Kansas City Royals, Cleveland Indians for example) have third base covered by young prospects that have graduated to the big leagues. So to recap, the first two things I’m looking for are a need at the hot corner and the money to sign Wright to an extension. Lastly, the team would need to have enough minor league talent to entice the Mets to pull the trigger. Wright is, after all, a franchise cornerstone and one of the leaders in the clubhouse. He won’t come cheap. Here are a few teams that may make sense.
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are regarded as one of the more aggressive teams in Major League Baseball. They are not afraid to make a splash with a big trade or a lucrative contract. For this reason the Tigers often find themselves in the middle of the juicy trade and free agency rumors. With a nice chunk of money (Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez and maybe Jose Valverde) coming off of the books at the end of this season, the Tigers should have the financial flexibility to add a significant piece to the puzzle. While the Tigers are a popular rumor target, the need for an upgrade at third base might be even more obvious. Brandon Inge has handled most of the action at third base and has been a black hole (.184/.250/.251) with the stick. His putrid stat line is influenced by a .244 BABIP, but that isn’t enough to hide the fact that Inge’s days as a fixture in the Tigers’ lineup are numbered. He is under contract through 2012, but that would not stop the Tigers from acquiring David Wright if all of the other pieces fell into place.
Who would the Mets want? The Mets need ace caliber pitching in a bad way. Jacob Turner is likely as off-limits as you can get, but the Mets could be interested in LHPs Casey Crosby and Andy Oliver. 2010 supplemental pick and 3B, Nick Castellanos would be a logical target for the Mets, but I wouldn’t put much money on them being able to pry him away, even for Wright. I guess it depends on how close the Tigers feel they are. A middle of the order that includes Wright-Cabrera-Martinez-Boesch is pretty scary.
Los Angeles Angels
Ever since Arte Moreno took over ownership of the Los Angeles Angels he has been making moves. Whether it was by signing big free agents (Vladimir Guerrero prior to 2004) or leading the charge for a name change (the Angels used to be the “Anaheim Angels”), Moreno has earned the reputation of an owner that will open the checkbook and sign off on the big moves. Of course it was that same willingness that allowed his front office to make the bonehead move of acquiring Vernon Wells and his anchor of a contract. That will put a wrench in some of the Angels’ plans moving forward, but it won’t take them completely out of the mix – especially when the American League West remains a winnable division. It may turn out that the Angels’ need for a third baseman forces their hand. They went hard after Adrian Beltre this off-season, but missed out to their division rival Texas Rangers. As a result, the Angels have had to play with Alberto Callaspo and Maicer Izturis manning the hot corner. Those two are okay, but they only have seven home runs between the two of them. The Rangers figure to be solid AL West contenders for a few years and the Seattle Mariners are building some momentum as well. If the Angels plan on retaking their hold on the division throne, they will definitely need to address their hole at third base. David Wright would make a great long-term plug.
Who would the Mets want? The Angels don’t really have the type of potential top-of-the-rotation starter that the Mets might go after, but Tyler Chatwood, Fabio Martinez and Garrett Richards possess good stuff and are potential targets. Kaleb Cowart, a switch-hitter, is the Angels’ top third base prospect with bat speed to spare and big time power potential. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mets built a deal around him.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds could potentially be on the cusp of something special. They are struggling a little bit this season, but they proved in 2010 that they are a team to keep an eye on. They don’t appear to have a ton of money to spend, but the expiration of Francisco Cordero’s contract should help. On the field the Reds have a lot of young talented pitchers with Mike Leake, Travis Wood, Johnny Cueto and Homer Bailey producing/developing at the Major League level (Edinson Volquez is in the minor leagues right now, but he has plenty of talent as well). Their offense might be more impressive with Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce forming a mini Murderers’ Row. Not to mention Yonder Alonso, Devin Mesoraco and Zack Cozart (recently promoted) are on the verge of making a splash. That is virtually every position covered with a stud or a young and promising prospect. Every position but third base which is currently occupied by 36-year old Scott Rolen and his .241 batting average. Unfortunately for the Reds, Rolen is signed through 2012, but could they pass up the opportunity to put their team over the hump? I also realize that Juan Francisco has been waiting in the wings for quite some time, but we’re talking about adding what could be a sure thing (depending on how Wright recovers from his injury). In addition to adding an All-Star (can you imagine Wright’s numbers at Great American Ballpark?) to the likes of Votto and Bruce, Wright would also be a leader in the clubhouse. He has played in the biggest market, battled in the postseason and been through extreme adversity. Stubbs-Phillips-Votto-Wright-Bruce…pretty stacked, huh?
Who would the Mets want? Whether the Mets really wanted him or not, the Reds would probably look to put Juan Francisco out of his misery. I’m not sure the Mets would be too enthralled with Francisco’s mostly one-dimensional game though. Guys like 2B/SS Billy Hamilton and C Yasmani Grandal could be blocked at the big league level so perhaps the Mets could go after one or both of them as up-the-middle building blocks. On the pitching side, Kyle Lotzkar is the best pitching prospect the Reds have to offer in the non-Aroldis Chapman division.
The Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds are certainly not the only teams that could/would make a run at David Wright, but they are three that make at least some sort of sense. Like I mentioned up top, David Wright needs to get back on the field and perform in the second half before any trade goes down.
Buy New York Mets Tickets | Buy New York Mets Apparel
2 Rants to “Where Could New York Mets Trade David Wright?”
Leave a Rant
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
FEATURED PARTNERS
If you want Lotzkar as part of a package for Wright, I’m all for as a Reds fan. Lotzkar is an injury waiting to happen just like Wright, so its fair in a sharing the risk point of view.
I wouldn’t really call Wright an injury waiting to happen. Including his first full season in 2005, Wright has played 150+ games in five of seven seasons. He got drilled in the head by a Matt Cain fastball in 2009 which forced him out of action, but this season is really the only time he’s missed a lot of games due to an injury of his own doing.