Mets Make Seven-Year Offer To David Wright

Well, that was quick. What seems to be hours after the Mets made a six-year/$100 million contract extension offer to David Wright (one in which he was expected to reject), Andy Martino tweeted the organization has now made a seven-year offer “well in excess” of $100 million. Hopefully, we’ll see David smiling like he is in this picture very soon.

All I can say is, it’s about time! Even though Ryan Zimmerman and Evan Longoria agreed to six year extensions doesn’t mean

August 8, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Mets third baseman David Wright (5) laughs during warmups before a game against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE

Wright is going to back down from his desire to get a seven-year deal on top of his $16 million option for 2013. Sandy Alderson is wary of handing out long-term extensions, especially second-generation contracts like the one they’re negotiating with Wright, but everyone is aware of what’s at stake in these talks. The Mets need to show the fans this organization is not only willing to lock up their franchise player for the remainder of his career, but also display they have the financial means to retain their best players and build around them to become competitors again.

When I saw the six-year offer come across this morning, it made me angry. These two sides have been talking for almost two months now, and it’s common knowledge that Wright values having a seventh guaranteed year added on at the end of this extension. So, why throw out a six-year offer, especially the day after Longoria took a deal with similar terms? R.A. Dickey also said he’s surprised negotiations for his extension are going as slow as they are, and is planning on sitting in himself if there isn’t significant progress by the conclusion of the Winter Meetings.

Dickey also added he’s been in touch with Wright regularly, and the third baseman has expressed his confidence in a deal becoming official, but just as the fans are getting tired of hearing the same news day after day with no change, there is no doubt Wright is just as tired and frustrated. He wants this deal to be done so he can focus on getting prepared for 2013 and Alderson can move on and address other team needs next week in Nashville.

Now, we wait and see if both sides can come to an agreement and make this bad boy official! If this is all true, I expect the Dickey negotiations to speed up considerably, but time will tell.

UPDATE, 4:10pm: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that the proposed offer from the Mets ranges between $135 and $140 million, netting Wright close to $20 million per season.