David Wright’s playing career seems like it may be at the end. But maybe he could be in the long-term plans for the New York Mets.
Terry Collins seems like he is on thin ice with the Mets organization as the manager. The rough start to the 2017 season isn’t on him given all of the injuries. But now the franchise is not allowing Collins to talk about team injuries with the public and media. That can only lead some to think that Collins’ job might not be safe.
At 68 years old, Collins may not be long for managing; usually most don’t go into their 70’s. Collins signed a two-year extension to his contract after the 2015 season following their World Series appearance.
But given the current state of affairs with the Mets, Collins doesn’t seem like he will be in for the long run. So where does the Mets captain fit into all of this? If Collins doesn’t last as the manager, he may be the ideal replacement.
Wright is under contract to the Mets until 2020. But the 34-year-old has played in just 75 games since the 2015 season and has yet to play in 2017. It’s not clear if David Wright will even take the field for the Mets this season, which has people speculating on his future.
Retirement has been floated around because Wright doesn’t ever seem like he can stay healthy at this point. But Wright is still considered the face of the franchise and has a lot of respect in the organization. He’s also extremely bright with a ton of baseball knowledge.
If Collins were to walk away as the manager, putting David Wright in that spot might be what is best.
Replacing a manager is never easy, especially one that has had success in the last seven years. But Collins is likely looking at the end of his tenure with the Mets. So who better to replace someone whose been successful than one of the franchise’s biggest icons?
Granted, David Wright has no coaching experience, as he’s still an active player. It doesn’t mean Wright would make a terrible manager though. Mike Matheny proved that he didn’t need coaching experience and he’s had success as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. Being a smart baseball person with great instincts is something that can’t be taught. And it’s a quality that Wright possesses.
After 2017, the Mets will be in a bit of a transition. They’re set to lose Curtis Granderson, Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jay Bruce and Lucas Duda as free agents. Some of the team’s minor leaguers could be on the horizon. Who better to coach them than a former player that turns into a manager who came through the organization?
This of course is all speculation considering Collins is still the manager. After all, the Mets could always turn their season around and Collins stays put. But again, given the way things have gone, Collins doesn’t seem like he’s the long-term answer.
The Mets likely have to be thinking about who manages after Collins. Collins’ age alone will have people wondering about who sits in his chair next.
Remember, the Yankees had to do it as well when Joe Torre left after 11 years. 10 years later and with a World Series to his resume, Joe Girardi is still guiding the team.
David Wright could be that next guy the Mets need for the present and really, for the future. David Wright should be given strong consideration to be the next manager once Collins walks away from the franchise.