David is not Wright
the position since Wright’s heyday as a seven-time All-Star who knocked in at least 100 runs five times.
“I don’t want to have regrets,” Wright said in January. “If I can’t play? Then I’ll be able to say I gave it my best shot. I really did. And if I can play, which obviously is the goal, then that’s great as well. And that’s ideal. I just don’t want to have any regrets when it’s all said and done that if I would have just put in some more work, or if I would have just concentrated a little more on the rehab program, I might have been able to do it.”
Wright still is owed $47 million over the next three seasons from the $138 million contract he signed in 2012. Insurance has been reimbursing the Mets 75% since July 2016, and the policy would pay off an additional $15 million on the $20 million he is slated to earn this season if he is medically unable to play.
At that point, the Mets and the insurance carrier could negotiate an injury settlement for the remainder, similar to what happened with Prince Fielder and the Texas Rangers when he retired in 2016.
They were everybody’s favorites going into the postseason last October, after that 22-game winning streak, and there are still whispers in Cleveland that Corey Kluber was dealing with a back injury during the Yankees series when he got roughed up in two starts.
Kluber might be the best starter in baseball when healthy, and the Indians have great pitching depth. With Cody Allen and Andrew Miller headed for free agency, likely breaking up their monster bullpen, they need to cash in now.
They last won it all in 1988, thanks in part to Kirk Gibson’s famous Game 1 World Series home run off Dennis Eckersley, and they came oh-so close to ending the drought last October, losing Game 7 to the Astros.
You have to like their chances of getting back to October, but it won’t be easy running the playoff gauntlet again. And for all of his greatness, Clayton Kershaw still hasn’t gotten through a post-season without failing in a big spot, as he did in Game 5 last year.
Bryce Harper’s pending free agency will create all sorts of drama for this team, as there will be huge pressure to finally break through. The Nationals, formerly the Expos, have never won a championship in their 49 years of existence, but it’s recent history that will weigh heavily on a team that has yet to win a playoff series in repeated tries since Harper and Steven Strasburg arrived.
I don’t think it’s out of the question that the pieces could fall into place and the Mickey Callaways could be playing in October. Obviously they need to get lucky with injuries for a change, especially on the pitching front, and at least
Second only to Indians for longest drought, going back 57 years to the birth of this franchise, it might be years before the Rangers get closer to a title than they did in 2011. If only Nelson Cruz had been playing deeper in that fateful Game 6…
Still another franchise without a championship, going back 41 years, the M’s carry another burden as the team that has gone the longest without reaching the post-season. Who knew they’d disappear after the Yankees knocked off the 2001 team that won 116 regular-season games?
Hard to believe it has been 35 years since this proud franchise won its last title, with Cal Ripken Jr. as a 22-year old MVP in 1983. The bad news is they’re probably headed for a rebuild after Manny Machado leaves as a free agent.
Have to go back to Willie Stargell’s We-Are-Fam-a-lee Bucs of 1979 for the last time they won it all. Looked like they were on the verge a few years ago but couldn’t break through, and now the recent trades of Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen signal a rebuild ahead.
Winless since the team was born in 1969, Padres fans might always wonder: what if Mark Langston had gotten the call from Rich Garcia when he had Tino Martinez struck out looking in that huge Game 1 spot of the ’98 World Series…and not subsequently given up a Series-changing grand slam?
They came up small in 2009 and 2012 World Series appearances, leaving Motown to long for the Sparky Anderson-led ’84 champs, especially now that a rebuild is at hand.