It Sounds Like David Wright Is Going To Get Hired For A Role In The Mets Front Office
NYDN- When David Wright walked into Citi Field last September, his future was murky. After years of battling injuries, the Mets captain admitted he was physically unable to play major league baseball any more, but he isn’t entirely ready to leave the game.
It turns out Wright will keep at least a small role in the organization going forward. The third baseman will transition to a role as a special assistant to general manager Brodie Van Wagenen soon, two team sources told The News. This is hardly surprising, considering that Wright showed up in the Mets’ suite at the Winter Meetings and was seen out with Van Wagenen in Las Vegas. He was invited by club COO Jeff Wilpon and Van Wagenen to get a feel for the other side of the game.
Wright is said to have told some friends that after playing his final game in September, he was looking for a way to keep himself involved in the game. Van Wagenen said last month that he was interested in drawing on Wright’s experience as a player and a teammate in building a new culture in Flushing. Sources close to Wright said it will be a part-time role that still allows him plenty of time to spend with his family, including his two young daughters.
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Hold on one second, I have to finish wiping the tears from my eyes after looking at the picture at the top of this blog for way too long.
*Still crying*
*Stillllll crying*
*STILL crying*
Okay, we are good! Obviously I am thrilled for David Wright that he gets to continue working in the sport he loves despite having his playing days ripped away from him simply because the Baseball Gods are assholes and love fucking with the Mets. Sure being special assistant TO the general manager is a title straight out of Dunder Mifflin, or even worse, the Cincinnati Bengals.
But if anybody deserves to continue getting a paycheck from the Wilpons once he hangs up the cleats, it’s David Wright. He could have left the Mets back when he was still putting up seasons with 20+ homers, .300+ averages, as well as being the heart and soul of the entire organization. Instead he stuck around and pretty much lived out the worst nightmare everyone envisioned happening as the team placed a ton of money behind a guy who would be 37 by the time the contract ran out, likely again because this franchise is fucking cursed by either the baseball gods, the worst ownership in the sport, or both. I also imagine the Wilpons don’t have any hate in their hearts for a player who gave left it all on the field and also allowed the Wilpons to pocket the insurance money from his contract while not reinvesting it in the team as Major League Baseball continues to let them run a New York franchise like a Baltimore franchise.
As for Wright’s day-to-day responsibilities, I’m not sure what Brodie will have him doing. But anytime the Mets get close to signing a player to a “big” contract (for the Mets since the Wilpons refuse to run the team like the big market team it is), I would have David Wright meet with him before he signs on the dotted line and ask if he is truly ready to give the Mets everything he has or if it’s strictly just a money grab. Lying to David Wright’s face would be harder for most mortal men to do than lying to God’s face. I’m not saying that would help the Mets avoid bad contracts that could cripple a team that has to count every single penny for its owners that love to act broke. But it sure as shit wouldn’t hurt. Plus any time you can add one of the nicest players to ever grace a baseball diamond to your front office that occasionally resembles a clown show, you have to do it. Keep cashing those checks, David. But since they are coming from a Wilpon, hopefully they won’t bounce.