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David Wright

David Wright believes Steve Cohen will turn the Mets into ‘sustained winners’

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A new era is about to being for the New York Mets. Steve Cohen, the hedge fund billionaire, is about to become MLB’s wealthiest owner when he takes over the team. All it is left is owners approving the transaction, which is expected to come relatively soon.

And New York Mets’ legend David Wright, one of the best players ever to play for the club, is excited for what’s to come for the franchise. While speaking on WFAN with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts this week, Wright told his impressions after meeting Cohen in Miami a couple of years ago.

“Just the passion that he has for the Mets, the knowledge that he has for the game. … I think he’s going to be able to build a sustained winner, hopefully for years to come,” Wright said, according to SNY.

Cohen is a lifelong Mets fan who has long wanted to own the team. After a failed attempt to purchase the franchise from the Wilpons at the start of the year, he secured exclusive negotiating rights and beat out several other competitors, including former Yankees’ star Alex Rodriguez and his fiancée Jennifer Lopez.

A Mets fan running the show

Wright referred to himself “as big of a Mets fan as anybody,” and, like every other Mets fan, wants the team to succeed.

“I watch the games now, I follow the team, I talk to some of the guys on a weekly basis in the clubhouse. … I certainly want to see the team have sustained success, and not just kind of win here and there,” said Wright. “I really would like to see the organization become a perennial winner and not just setting the sights on an NL East crown every year, but you know, winning the National League, getting the chance to play in the World Series on a consistent basis. That’s something that I’m certainly rooting for.”

Wright expressed confidence that Cohen, thinking about the Mets’ best interests, will know who to hire to help him turn the franchise around. “For what [Cohen] doesn’t know, he will put people that do know in the right positions,” he said, but he will not be among those, at least not on an everyday basis.

“I don’t think I could do kind of a daily thing or a full-time thing, but I’m certainly willing to give it what I can at this point,” Wright said.

New York Mets: Bobby Bonilla Isn’t The Only One Getting Paid Today

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For the New York Mets and their fans, the dreaded Bobby Bonilla day has arrived. Just like every July 1 until 2035, Bonilla receives his $1,193,248.20 in deferred money. What most fans do not realize is that Bonilla is not the only one receiving deferred money.

Every team in baseball has at least one deferred contract they regret. Unfortunately for the Mets, Bonilla won the grand prize for his lack of production and length of his deferred payments. In 1999, he batted just .160 in 60 games and was a huge distraction which caused the Mets to part ways with him after one season. Bonilla was no longer an issue for the Mets on the field but his journey to becoming a burden on the Mets payroll was just starting.

Other Mets With Deferred Money

Bret Saberhagen has received $250K every year since 2004 and the payments do not end until 2028. The Mets got one All-Star appearance and a 3.16 ERA over the three and a half years the control specialist spend in Queens. The Mets ended up trading Saberhagen to the Colorado Rockies for scraps.

Jeurys Familia deferred $1 million for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He will receive his money in two separate dates during 2022. Hopefully, the Mets can squeeze out production from Familia before his contract runs out.

Jacob deGrom deferred $52.5 million when he signed his contract extension. Thankfully, the Mets have already received two Cy Young season from him and expect another by the time he is done. deGrom will receive his money from 2035 to 2039. Barring injuries, this one works out well for the Mets.

David Wright has an interesting breakdown. He will receive $6 million with 2.5 percent interest compounded monthly from July 1, 2021, to July 1, 2023. At the end of 2023, Wright receives full interest. Unfortunately, Wright’s body gave up on him which forced him to retire earlier than he should have.

These payments are laced throughout baseball and some work out better than others. What makes Bonilla’s the worst one is how poorly he played, how long his payments are for and the fact the contract should not have been offered to him in the first place.

New York Mets’ legend David Wright “hates” Wrigley Field

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David Wright, the New York Mets‘ legend and former captain, recently said that he hates Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs from his playing days. However, wait until you hear the details before you go crazy and call him names in social media.

Wright, arguably the best player the New York Mets have produced in recent past, made the remarks during an episode of The Cookie Club while chatting with J.D. Davis, Dom Smith and Steve Gelbs.

“My favorite city probably in the summertime would be Chicago, but I hate — and this is probably against all sorts of baseball religion — Wrigley Field,” he said.

Wright went on to talk about other subjects but Gelbs later went back to the story to get clarification, according to SNY. After all, Wrigley Field is the second oldest park in baseball and represents the history of the game. Many stars have played there and the most romantic fans would probably be offended by Wright’s sentence. But let’s calm down first.

The Mets’ legend explained

Wright expanded on the subject: “Well, first of all, the playing surface, at least I don’t know how it is now, but the playing surface was always very uneven. So I would get a lot of bad hops,” he said.

“I tend to not like day games, so that hurts, and I’m very routine-oriented, and at the time, the cage was in like right-center field and you could only get it for like an hour so you’re trying to split time with the rest of the offensive guys, trying to get your routine in.”

Wright concluded: “So basically, it was the facilities, I’d say. The atmosphere is great.”

There you go, Cubs fans. This New York Mets’ legend doesn’t hate you or disrespected your home stadium. There is no need to overreact.

New York Mets’ former captain David Wright tells amazing stories involving deGrom and McNeil

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets‘ Cookie Club, hosted by Dominic Smith and J.D. Davis, had a special guest on Wednesday’s episode. David Wright, the former captain and club legend, participated in the show and told amazing stories about current stars Jeff McNeil and Jacob deGrom.

If you are a fan of the New York Mets, you probably know by now that deGrom, the team’s ace and one of the faces of the franchise, is one competitive dude. However, according to Wright’s story, he has inner fire.

“Jake is a different type of intense. The fire that burns within him is amazing,” Wright said, per SNY. “And it’s not like outwardly where — you’re not gonna see him break a lot of stuff. Although, I do have a great memento from Jake.”

Wright continued: “He got beat up a couple of starts. … And he came in after like the second or third poor start — which is shocking, that he’d have that many poor starts — and he ripped his jersey off, and buttons are flying everywhere. And he just threw it in the middle of the ground. I’m being serious, but from afar I’m trying not to laugh. So then he tries to pull off his Nike shirt, and he’s like trying to ‘Hulk Hogan’ it, and he’s going and he’s going and he’s going, and it won’t rip! So finally he just sits in his chair and he looks at me and goes ‘I give up.'”

The Mets’ ace wants to “beat and embarrass you”

The former Mets’ captain claims he still has the jersey, and wants deGrom to put his signature on it.

“The fire that Jake has is from within, like he takes it personal,” Wright said. “When he’s on the mound, it’s like a mano a mano thing. Not only does he want to beat you, but he wants to embarrass you. That’s a different level.”

Now, to McNeil: the New York Mets great remembers that the Squirrel’s mouth got him in trouble while he was in the minors.

“I was with McNeil in St. Lucie,” Wright said. “They asked him to come into the front office of St. Lucie. … and they’re like, ‘dude, you gotta cut out the obscenities that you’re yelling out after striking out. There’s like 12 people in the stands, and they can hear everything that you say. Let’s pump the brakes a little bit, guy.'”

New York Mets’ legend David Wright on Carlos Beltran situation: ‘It would’ve been a dark cloud’

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New York Yankees, New York Mets, Carlos Beltran

Over the winter, the New York Mets had appointed Carlos Beltran, a former player of the organization, to be their manager. However, he was named on MLB’s report on the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal in 2017. He was a participant in the scheme, and as a result, the Mets and the former star center fielder decided to part ways.

A few days later, the Mets named quality control coach Luis Rojas as their skipper in a multi-year contract. However, fans, management and the front office will always wonder what could have been if Beltran was the man in charge.

New York Mets’ legend David Wright appreciates everything that Beltran did for him and for the team, but in the end, he agreed that it was best for all parties involved if he didn’t manage the club.

“There’s choices, decisions, consequences,” Wright said on the Metrospective Podcast with Pete McCarthy and Tim Britton, quoted by SNY. “You have choices, you make the decisions. If you choose wrongly, you suffer the consequences.”

“As great as Carlos was to me as a younger player — our first spring training, he made me work out with him every day. And it was eye-opening for me. … You break the rules and you get caught, you’ve gotta suffer the consequences. Unfortunately, that’s where Carlos is now. And that’s no, obviously, disrespect to Carlos. It is what it is and he broke the rules, and he’s taking it as well as he could’ve. He’s apologized and hopefully everybody moves on.”

It had nothing to do with the Mets, but…

What Beltran did had nothing to do with the New York Mets, as he did it in 2017 with another organization. However, had all parties decided to move forward with the hiring, it would have been too much to handle from a pressure standpoint.

“It obviously would’ve been a dark cloud,” Wright said. “The questions that he would’ve had to answer probably on a daily basis, the questions that the players would’ve had to answer on a daily basis. It would’ve all been centered around this scandal that the Mets had nothing to do with. And that’s a tough way to start out a career.”

“Do I think he would’ve made a great manager? Yes. Do I think he’s one of the smartest baseball people I’ve ever been around? Yes. It’s just tough having those outside circumstances kind of follow you around for your first year.”

Wright does recognize Beltran’s contributions to his development as a player. “I certainly don’t want to speak negatively of Carlos, because again I’m very thankful how he treated me,” Wright stated. “And for the production, I think he’s one of the most underrated Mets players of all time. His numbers are ridiculously stupid. I don’t think he gets credit for doing what he did for our organization.”

New York Mets rumors: Wright has a “coaching position” and won’t manage the Mets, the “King” and more

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The New York Mets are still looking for a manager. Meanwhile, David Wright, once again, dismissed any interest in the position. As a matter of fact, he is taken: he is the coach of his daughter’s coed tee ball team.

Here are the New York Mets’ news and rumors of the day:

Jon Heyman: Jon Heyman checked in with David Wright and confirmed Mike Puma’s recent report. The former captain is not interested in managing the New York Mets. He probably won’t be interested in the near future, as well.

“I inquired of David Wright if he’d consider the Mets manager job. His response: “Happy New Year Jon. Correct, I am not interested in coaching. Full transparency I did accept a position as a coach on my daughter’s 3/4 year old coed tee ball team this spring.”

After that hilarious response from the former star, it is clear that he shouldn’t be considered a candidate to manage the Mets.

Jon Heyman: Right-handed pitcher Felix Hernandez signed as a non-roster invitee with the Atlanta Braves, according to Jon Heyman. The deal is worth $1 million.

The Braves will give the “King” another chance to crack a rotation. He had an historic run with the Seattle Mariners before he ran out of gas in 2018.

For his career, the Venezuelan accumulates a 3.42 ERA in 2729.2 frames, with 54.0 fWAR and 169 wins. The Mets, Marlins, Nationals and Phillies will “welcome” him in the NL East.

Andy Martino: According to Andy Martino of SNY, the Houston Astros are interested in Eduardo Perez. They interviewed Dusty Baker yesterday for the managerial position but they are keeping their options open.

Perez has been mentioned as a candidate for the New York Mets’ position, as well. He was among the finalists over the winter, when the team hired Beltran.

Houston is looking to replace AJ Hinch after he was suspended for a year and subsequently dismissed.

Scott Kazmir: Former Mets farmhand Scott Kazmir may be on the comeback trail. The southpaw recently uploaded a video of himself training. That may be an indication that he wants to return to being an active major leaguer.

Kazmir, 35, was a hot Mets prospects before the team infamously traded him to the Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano. That happened in 2004.

New York Mets: Five Possible Replacements for Carlos Beltran

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New York Mets, Terry Collins

Over the last 48 hours, controversy and rumors of Carlos Beltran stepping down from his manager position have been surrounding the New York Mets. Should Beltran leave his job, who are the best candidates to jump in and take the reigns with less than a month until Spring Training starts?

Terry Collins

His name either brings back memories of happiness or causes other Mets fans to begin to gag. Collins would be a solid choice in a one-year role while the Mets try to figure out their manager for the following season. He has a good relationship with a majority of the roster and was a key figure of bringing the Mets out of their chaos from the early part of the last decade. Collins is the latest manager to bring the Mets to the World Series and already has direct experience with the job as Mets manager.

Hensley Meulens

Meulens is currently the bench coach for the Mets and has been involved in baseball since 1985 as a player. His experience and knowledge certainly qualifies him to become the manager. Meulens has managed the Netherlands multiple times in the Summer Olympics and World Baseball Classic. Since 2010, he spent time as the hitting coach and then bench coach under Bruce Bochy in the San Francisco Giants organization. Meulens has respect from players throughout the league and speaks five different languages.

Eduardo Perez

Perez was originally one of the few remaining candidates who lost out on the Mets job. He has experience managing in Puerto Rico along with various coaching roles in the earlier part of the 2010s. As much as Perez would like the opportunity to manage, it would be hard to see him jumping out of a multi-year deal he signed to remain as an analyst on ESPN. Despite the lack of time he would have to prepare, the talent the Mets have on their roster may be too much to pass on.

Buck Showalter

Much like Collins, Showalter would be with the Mets as a short term option. His resume speaks for itself and is the most polished out of anyones on the list. Showalter’s last job with the Orioles did not end as smoothly as he wanted, and his older style of managing could be what the Mets need to get eyes focused on the product on the field, not off it. The seven names surrounding Showalter on the all-time wins list are all in the hall of fame, so he is not a wrong choice to settle on.

David Wright

The chance of Wright taking the job has to be less than one percent, but you have to make the call to ask. With all the negativity surrounding the Mets, Wright is the joyful and hopeful face fans, and the organization can rally around. Wright represents the opposite approach the Mets could take when compared to Showalter. He knows the media, the clubhouse knows and respects him. Much like Beltran, Wright is a former player with a brilliant baseball mine and exceptional leadership qualities. With all the analytics and Brodie Van Wagenen involved, how much managing would he even need to do?

New York Mets Injury Report: August 19, 2018

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Some big names for the New York Mets are finally rehabbing and trying to return to the big leagues this season. The Mets relievers continue to take another hit as two of their pitchers are trying to return from injury.

Phillip Evans (fractured tibia) was officially moved to the 60-day DL on August 17 and will be out for the rest of the season. This opened up space on the 40-man roster for relief pitcher Daniel Zamora. Evans only had three hits in 21 at-bats and one stolen base with the Mets this season.

Bobby Wahl (right hamstring strain) was placed on the 10-day DL on August 17 with a grade 1 strain. He suffered the injury in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies. Wahl could return once his time on the DL ends. The Mets acquired Wahl from the Oakland Athletics for Jeurys Familia. Wahl has struggled with the Mets, allowing six runs in 5.1 innings pitched.

Will Nimmo Play Tonight?

Brandon Nimmo (finger) had his X-Rays and MRI came back negative after he took a fastball of his left index finger during the series against the Baltimore Orioles. He has not played in any of the four games against the Phillies, but can return to the lineup at any moment. Nimmo was on fire before the injury, going 15-35 with a .500 on-base percentage.

Anthony Swarzak (shoulder) still has not resumed throwing yet. He has been on the DL since August 4 with the discomfort in his shoulder. Swarzak is expected to be back by early September, but the Mets will not rush him back. Swarzak has been a disappointment in his first year with the Mets. He has a 6.00 ERA in 21 innings pitched.

Jay Bruce (hip) played nine innings at first base for the St. Lucie Mets on Saturday. Bruce will continue to see a lot more first base because of his sub-par outfield defense and Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto and Austin Jackson becoming the everyday trio of outfielders. His rehab assignment will last about a week and he can return before the end of the month.

Return of the Captain?

David Wright (shoulder) played seven innings in another St. Lucie Mets game. The captain has been on his rehab assignment for about a week and is starting to stretch out his playing time more. Wright has been hitless in 14 at bats, but it is understandable because he has not played in any games in over a year. He has to play a full nine inning game and figure out his swing before he even thinks about making a return this season. He is running out of minor league games to get ready, but if he is making the right strides forward his return can happen this season.