Mets' Alderson Vows He'll Contact Wright's Agent, Won't Guarantee In-Season Offer
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Mets general manager Sandy Alderson wanted to set the record straight.
Yes, he'd like David Wright to stick around in Flushing. Yes, he'll be in contact with the All-Star third baseman's representatives.
But Alderson stopped shy of saying a formal offer would be made this season.
"We can talk about a lot of things that would come up short of an offer," Alderson said Tuesday. "And I'm not trying to suggest that we're going to make one or not make one, or what have you. I've said we'd like to have David here long term. I stand by that statement. But I just want to make sure the record is clear."
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported Mets brass were "quietly preparing" to offer Wright a long-term contract extension. An "aggressive push" to retain him could come "at some point later this year—perhaps as soon as this summer," the Journal reported.
Alderson wouldn't go so far as to confirm a mega-push, but he vowed he would talk to Wright's agent "sometime this season."
"I don't want to infer that we will make an offer (or) we won't make an offer," he said. "We expect to talk to his agent this season, certainly. But I don't want to answer that question for 20 or 30 other people. We expect to talk to the agent this year. I can't exactly foresee what will take place, but that's as far as I've gone at this point."
The Mets lost fellow homegrown star Jose Reyes to the Miami Marlins in free agency last December. In fact, they never even gave the shortstop a formal offer. Fans in Flushing hope the team's approach will be different when it comes to Wright.
But Alderson told CBSSports.com that the clock isn't exactly ticking due to the 29-year-old's $16 million team option for 2013.
"It's not an (urgent) situation for us," Alderson said, according to baseball insider Jon Heyman. "He's not a free agent, and we do have an option. And we have other contractual situations we've dealt with."
No doubt Wright could be in for a huge payday. His .470 on-base percentage is tops in MLB, and he's batting .370 even in the midst of a recent skid, good for third in the majors.
Should the Mets make an offer ASAP? Be heard in the comments below...
