It is time to just let him play. I know he hit .171 during his 12-game rehab assignment. As he played in a simulated game on Saturday at Citi Field, you started to wonder if this dog and pony show would ever result in David Wright playing in a major league game.
Wright has made it clear that he wants to play and his body feels good enough to play. During that simulated game, he took six at-bats and fielded ground balls at third base to test his fielding acumen and his throwing arm as the Mets are provided yet another hurdle for Wright to overcome in order to get back to the majors.
Maybe it is me, being the Roy Hobbs lover that I am, but I am enjoying the story of the Wright comeback. I think it is inspirational and he deserves all the credit in the world. As he homered on Saturday during his simulated game, can you just imagine if he did that during a regular season home game this month? There would not be a dry eye in the house.
With that being said, we all know the how and why the Mets season has become largely irrelevant from a team perspective and the talking points surrounding the team on the field have been largely surrounding the brilliance of Jacob deGrom and his pursuit of the NL Cy Young and as of late, the brilliant second half of fellow starter Zack Wheeler.
However, another forgotten former star has become a focal point and that is the captain David Wright.
He wants to play and for whatever reason, the Mets don’t seem to be all that willing to embrace the story of his comeback. He has not played in a Major League game since May 27, 2016, and has only played in 75 games since the start of the 2015 season. He has had neck, shoulder and back surgeries and is dealing with a lifetime diagnosis of stenosis.
To say that his body has broken down and failed him would be an understatement. His desire to play baseball is real, even if it is just for one final game or one final play at third base.
As David Wright discussed early last week, he would like to see his daughters see him play once again, something they have never witnessed. He would also like to reward the Mets fans for all the support they have shown him through the recovery process.
It is a testament to Wright, the will of the man, that he has given himself this opportunity by setting it as a goal and striving to achieve it. So many would have looked for a buyout or unofficially retired so that you can still collect what is left on your contract and allow the organization to gain back, through insurance, around 75 percent of the money.
If he were to come back and remain healthy, the Mets would have to pay him through the rest of the season after his return and insurance coverage could be a question of the $27 million dollars that is owed to Wright over the final two years of his contract.
Even though Wright was medically cleared to go through the rehab process in the minor leagues, the Mets have made it perfectly clear that he has not been cleared to play at the major league level, citing the different speed of the game.
Assistant GM John Ricco has also made it clear that he does not want Wright to come back ‘ceremonially’, but as a contributor and that the Mets want Wright to come back as a full-time contributor. I have to be honest, I am not even sure that it is possible for Wright physically to be a full-time contributor. I don’t even think Wright feels he can do that.
Remember the strange quote from Ricco when the Mets promoted Wright to Triple-A Las Vegas to continue his rehab and buzz started to build that maybe a Wright appearance in the majors was possible.
If you missed it, here it is, “We just haven’t seen that level of consistency of playing on a quantity or quality basis at this point.” That pretty much cut any excitement off at the knees.
How about the one, “It is unrealistic to think he will be activated anytime soon.”
Instead of embracing the comeback, the Mets seem to view it as a headache that they want to go away, even though Wright has fully embraced it. Wright has said the Mets have never talked about insurance and his contract and maybe this is all on the level, but for the life of me, I don’t understand how and why the Mets have taken the approach they have taken with David Wright.
It does not only seem strange but is also tone-deaf.
I think Wright knows the end is near. He just wants one last taste to be able to allow his friends and family to see him put on that jersey once again. He is not and will never be an everyday player again. He will not embarrass himself and is not looking for one last payday.
He is 35-year-old and wants to try to go out on his terms. Try to play once again. As an older player, enjoying the boys’ game and not the rehab process from one surgery after another. The Mets should embrace it as much as David Wright does and the fans will.
