David Wright available?

[RynoRules]

Tim Kurkijan says he may be available due to the Mets' financial concerns. Looks like we need a 3B, unfortunately.

 

Assuming the report is correct, would we want him? What would we give-up to get him?

 

He had a down year (for him, anyway) last season (.254 /.345/.427/.771.; 114 OPS-plus; 1.4 WAR), but that was probably due to injury. When healthy he's unquestionably a stud on Aramis' level. (Career stats) He's only 29 and is signed through next season at $15 million, with a $16 million club option for 2013 ($1 million buyout).

 

This looks like a great opportunity to me. The risk is low as he is only guaranteed one more year and the buyout is small. Could we trade for Wright and sign Fielder in the same offseason? If we do aren't we instant contenders?

[davearm2]

Tim Kurkijan says he may be available due to the Mets' financial concerns. Looks like we need a 3B, unfortunately.

 

Assuming the report is correct, would we want him? What would we give-up to get him?

 

He had a down year (for him, anyway) last season (.254 /.345/.427/.771.; 114 OPS-plus; 1.4 WAR), but that was probably due to injury. When healthy he's unquestionably a stud on Aramis' level. (Career stats) He's only 29 and is signed through next season at $15 million, with a $16 million club option for 2013 ($1 million buyout).

 

This looks like a great opportunity to me. The risk is low as he is only guaranteed one more year and the buyout is small. Could we trade for Wright and sign Fielder in the same offseason? If we do aren't we instant contenders?

Trading for Wright and signing Fielder gets the Cubs a little ahead of where they were in 2011, with Ramirez and Pena.

 

Obviously they need to get more than a little ahead of 2011 to be contenders.

[Guest]

I'd listen to what they want, and short of Castro or Jackson, I'd give them lots.

 

Cashner (can he really be a starter?) or Jackson, Vitters, and j.jachkson/Dolis. Would that be enough? Too much?

 

He seems like he would be a perfect fit

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Expensive, injury prone, poor defensively and an up-and-down hitter. Pass.

[Cubs Fan Dan]

I would give up anything not named Brett Jackson. I think Wright could be a steal, his defense is not spectacular but he has great offensive ability. I would love a Jackson, Castro, Wright, Fielder top 4....

[Guest]

Expensive, injury prone, poor defensively and an up-and-down hitter. Pass.

 

I've never looked at his numbers real closely. I always thought he was an awesome defender. Guess I'm just picturing all those barehanded plays from his early days.

[RynoRules]

Expensive, injury prone, poor defensively and an up-and-down hitter. Pass.

 

- I don't think he's that expensive given that you have him for one year and tthen can cut bait.

- He wasn't injured until last season and he still played over 100 games.

- Aramis wasn't a stud defender - he was average and we'd all likely have him back in a second.

- He's not an up-and-down hitter. Look at his career stats.

 

EDIT: Check that. He was injured a few years ago as well. My bad.

Edited October 31, 2011 by RynoRules

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Ramirez wasn't an average defender by the end of his time with the Cubs either, and that's part of the reason I'm not sad to see him go.

[jersey cubs fan]

what is an up and down hitter?

[Cubs Fan Dan]

what is an up and down hitter?

 

One who goes through hot and cold streaks apparently? I believe that is every hitter.

[RynoRules]

what is an up and down hitter?

 

Good question. I guessed he was refering to his career stat line from year-to-year, but if he means that he is streaky in-season, well so is everyone else.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

what is an up and down hitter?

 

In this case, he's a guy who has had some awesome offensive seasons in the past but nowhere near that level the last two years.

[tfarks]

I'd buy on Wright. They can't get away with asking for the moon for this guy anymore. And he slugged 50 points higher on the road last year. I think he could easily return to stud level.

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

Yes. If you go after fallen players, you go after fallen stars. In this case, the star is still in his physical prime and I'm willing to bet/guess more than capable of getting most of his former, oh so distant value back.

 

Wright would be a coup for anyone...

[Guest]

What's the payoff for buying low on Wright? He's a FA next year and there's little chance he signs an extension, so trading players for him now just gets him for this year(where his performance is uncertain) and then paying market value for future years(when his performance will be more certain).

[KingCubsFan]

He's going to cost way too much in terms of prospects. The Mets aren't run by idiots anymore, and he's one of the few valuable assets the team has.

[RynoRules]

What's the payoff for buying low on Wright? He's a FA next year and there's little chance he signs an extension, so trading players for him now just gets him for this year(where his performance is uncertain) and then paying market value for future years(when his performance will be more certain).

 

 

Why couldn't you sign him to an extension? And wouldn't the price be considerably less than, for example, King Felix, because he's only under club control for one (potentially two) year and is coming off an injury?

[KingKongvs.Godzilla]

In this case, he's a guy who has had some awesome offensive seasons in the past but nowhere near that level the last two years.

 

I'd take his 2010 in a heartbeat...a 131 OPS+ isn't exactly crapping the bed...neither is the 114 he put up this past season really...screams buy low to me.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

He makes $15 million next season. Buying low isn't an option.

[RynoRules]

I just don't see the huge risk here. The Mets can't demand McNutt-level guys for him anymore, so you buy low. The real value to the Mets comes in shedding his salary a year early.

 

But I also see the other side of this - wait a year and then sign him as FA.

[Guest]

Take away Z's head case issues and that's about where David Wright is in his career. Injury and performance questions abound.

 

We're just hoping that we get a bucket of balls and significant salary relief for Z.

[treebird]

What's the payoff for buying low on Wright? He's a FA next year and there's little chance he signs an extension, so trading players for him now just gets him for this year(where his performance is uncertain) and then paying market value for future years(when his performance will be more certain).

 

 

Why couldn't you sign him to an extension? And wouldn't the price be considerably less than, for example, King Felix, because he's only under club control for one (potentially two) year and is coming off an injury?

 

the only way he'd sign an extension before this season is if you paid him some crazy amount of money (the sort of money he'd get if he had a big comeback 2012).

 

if you trade for wright, you need to recognize that you're trading for one season of a guy you can't be sure about. the prospects sent out would need to reflect that, and i'm not sure why the mets wouldn't just conclude that they'd rather hang on to him and see what happens rather than accept the mediocrity he is worth.

[Backtobanks]

I just don't see the huge risk here. The Mets can't demand McNutt-level guys for him anymore, so you buy low. The real value to the Mets comes in shedding his salary a year early.

 

But I also see the other side of this - wait a year and then sign him as FA.

 

 

You really think the Mets can't demand McNutt-level prospects? With a poor FA market @ 3B there would be lots of interest which would drive the price up.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Not to mention the ever-present draft pick compensation they could get at the end of his deal.

[mul21]

Take away Z's head case issues and that's about where David Wright is in his career. Injury and performance questions abound.

 

We're just hoping that we get a bucket of balls and significant salary relief for Z.

 

Yeah, but that's entirely because of the crazy. If you had Z without the sideshow, as everybody has said, he's a perfectly fine pitcher to have in your rotation who, at the very worst, most likely eats a lot of innings at better than a league average level.