In 2007, David Wright had one of the best seasons in Mets history, hitting .325 with 30 HRs, 107 RBI, and 34 steals. That season, Wright only had 115 strikeouts in 160 games (an average of 0.72 a game).
Fast-forward two-and-a-half years later to the 2010 season.
In 40 games, Wright has accumulated 55 strikeouts (1.38 a game), and has batted only .262.
It seems apparent that David Wright is not the player he used to be.
In 2004, the future of the Mets was revealed when David Wright and Jose Reyes were called up to the big leagues.
Both players had tremendous upside, and fans were looking forward to numerous World Series titles.
Six years later, both players have matured, but there have been no World Series titles. The closest the team came in the Wright-Reyes era was in 2006, when the team was one win away from reaching the World Series (thanks Adam Wainwright).
It’s not fair to blame the recent Mets woes completely on David Wright.
This season, the Mets have batted a dismal .246 and have an on-base percentage (OBP) of .318, one of the lowest in the league.
Many star players, such as Jason Bay, Jose Reyes, and Jeff Francoeur have not reached their potential so far this season.
The best hitter on the Mets so far is probably Rod Barajas, the team’s starting catcher. Barajas has a team-best nine HRs and only 16 strikeouts (compared to Wright’s 55).
Another telling stat of Wright’s decline is his wins above replacement (WAR).
WAR is a statistic that determines how much better that player is compared to a replacement player on the bench.
In the 2007 season, Wright’s WAR rating was 8.6, one of the highest in baseball. This season, Wright’s WAR has dropped all the way to 1.4.
In other words, Wright simply isn’t as important to the team as he used to be.
The 2010 season has been marked with many ups and downs for the Mets. After the team started the season 2-6, Jerry Manuel was on the hot seat. Eventually his seat cooled as the team won eight games in a row at the end of April.
Now, Manuel’s seat has begun to warm up again.
In their last 10 games, the Mets are 2-8.
Oliver Perez, the team’s fourth starter, has lost his control, Wright and Bay can’t seem to find their power, and Jon Niese, the team’s fifth starter, may go on the disabled list for four to six weeks.
Unless the team goes on another hot streak, this season may be coming to a close as early as late July.
As a die hard Mets fan, Wright has always been one of my favorite players. He is a caring, charismatic guy with a strong work ethic and great morals.
Fans love Wright for his work on and off the field, and it would be hard for the team to trade such a face of the franchise. Wright fills seats at Citi Field (attendance is down 17 percent this season, but that is a different story) and sells thousands of jerseys and shirts.
The Mets may listen more than ever about possible David Wright trades, but it will be nearly impossible for the team to pull the trigger.
One of the best suitors for Wright may be the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox have had hitting woes all season and can really use a young dynamic hitter. Wright is only 27 years old, and there is still plenty of time for him to regain his power.
The Red Sox have a bunch of older hitters (think David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis), and Wright would mesh well with Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and Jed Lowrie.
The Mets desperately need young pitchers, something which the Red Sox have plenty of, and could receive Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard for Wright.
It may not be the sexiest thing to do, but a rebuilding season could really benefit the Mets. As much as I hate to say it, this may be the Wright time for David to be traded.
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