Matt Harvey vs. Stephen Strasburg

[SWC75]

I would think if they let Davis go Duda would be playing first, but who knows.

Wright is a little below $20 million a year, its about $17 million, which may be inconsequential.

Wright is 30, Dickey is 38. I know Dickey is a knuckleballer, so maybe he can pitch for a long time, but Wright is more likely to be a good player in 3 years (well, he's more likely to be a good player in pretty much any time period you select) than Dickey is.

Hopefully the Mets can rebuild and be ready to compete in 2014 or 2015, at which point Wright will still likely be a very good player. (I'm not sure how much I buy that) He seems to have shrugged off the blip in production from 2009-2011 and may be back to being an elite player. And if that is the case, then paying him $17 million a year is probably a bargain. Obviously in 5 or 6 years he won't be the player he is today, but $17 million is probably like 3.5 WAR production, which Wright is more than capable of.

The way I look at the Dickey trade is that it sucks that the Mets were in a position where it did make some sense to trade the reigning Cy Young, but considering where they are, it probably did, and they got really good value for him.

And for whatever its worth, the defensive metrics think last year was the best defensive year of his career. There are pretty large error bars on defensive numbers, so I'm not sure I'd be comfortable saying that, but I think he was a better defender last year than the prior years (playing without a broken back helps). Wright is my favorite player, so I'm sure I'm biased, but he was one of the 5 best players in the NL last year, and in the first fifth of this season, he's been one of the 5 best players in the NL as well. From 2005-2008 he was one of the 5 best players in the majors. I think he's going to retain a lot of value in the next few years, and $17 million really isn't a lot of money for a star player.

It would also be nice to see what Wright could do with a better line-up around him. But I'm not sure we'll get to see that under this ownership.

 

[Knicks411]

It would also be nice to see what Wright could do with a better line-up around him. But I'm not sure we'll get to see that under this ownership.

Just have to look back to 2006-2008, I guess.

I don't know where the OF talent is going to come from. The way I looked at it, the path to competing by 2014 or so started with Harvey and Wheeler being really good pretty much right away. Looks like we're at least 50% of the way there.

But the team has no OF. Duda is hitting great, but he gives so much of that value back with the glove, and past him, there is no one.

 

[moqui]

again, I understand the Dickey trade. and I, too, am a Wright fan. But it doesn't make sense to pay him $138M when you are (a) rebuilding and (b) he will very possibly be in decline by the time you are ready to contend again (which is realistically 15 or beyond, not 14).

and while some of his defensive numbers are still good, his wily veteran ways can only compensate for his declining range for so long.

 

[Knicks411]

There is an argument to be made, I get it. But I think in 2015 Wright will still be a very good player (probably the Mets best position player, which may or may not be a good thing).

Also, let's be honest, the Wilpons probably weren't going to let Sandy trade David anyway, since he's the only draw they had at the beginning of the year. (Harvey is probably one now).

And $138 million just isn't a lot. It's insane to say, but it's true. $17 million a year to a guy shouldn't be back breaking. Hopefully at some point the in the next 2-3 years the payroll is ramped up. And finally, if Wright wasn't goign to agree to an extension with a new team, his trade value was probably less than Dickey's. RA being willing to sign a below market rate extension really helped the Mets in moving him

 

[SWC75]

again, I understand the Dickey trade. and I, too, am a Wright fan. But it doesn't make sense to pay him $138M when you are (a) rebuilding and (b) he will very possibly be in decline by the time you are ready to contend again (which is realistically 15 or beyond, not 14).

and while some of his defensive numbers are still good, his wily veteran ways can only compensate for his declining range for so long.

I'd make a lousy general manager. I'm a bird in the hand guy. Over the years, (at least with the Mets), they've gotten rid of a lot of good players and often haven't gotten that much in return. My instinct would be to rebuild by holding on to what you've got and trying to develop more good players or bring in some free agents. But there's the rub, when Bernie Madoff made off with your money.