Gammons says Wright should stay put

In this love note to David, Gammons lays out the case for why Wright should not be asked to switch positions for anyone, including A-Rod. I should note that I somewhat discount Gammons opinions b/c he's still relatively new to the game of baseball.

...it is hard to understand what the Mets were thinking when they treated their best player as if he were Damion Easley. Move David Wright to second base? Puh-leaze. Not only did he win the Gold Glove at third this season, but he's never played second base, even going back to AAU ball when Ryan Zimmerman had to switch to second because Wright was the third baseman. Left field? Absurd. Wright is, along with Zimmerman, one of the two best defensive third basemen in the National League. And while A-Rod is very good, his range factor was below that of Miguel Cabrera.

Is Wright ever going to be a 50-home run hitter? Probably not, especially at Shea Stadium. But look at Wright's career offensive numbers compared to A-Rod's through age 24:

_Rodriguez Wright
BA .308 .311
OBP .363 .388
SLG .551 .533
OPS .914 .921
HR 148 97

This is not about Wright vs. Rodriguez, because they are both great players, and Rodriguez at first base with Wright at third and Jose Reyes at short would be a spectacular combination. But Wright, at 24, accepted every responsibility when the Mets struggled down the stretch. While the majority of his teammates practically hid out and ducked under tables in the players' lounge, Wright was there to answer the tough questions. "I feel," he said one day, "that it is my responsibility."

Granted, Rodriguez was a Gold Glove shortstop who moved to third base, but he initiated the action to get out of Texas. And when the Yankees took a hard line in regards to his negotiations with the players associated, he had no choice but to move over in respect for Derek Jeter. This is different. Wright is the Mets' best player; he's not moving to another position. He and Willie Randolph were the two people who stood and accepted the harsh music down the stretch, and after seeing how Randolph was carved up, now Wright has read that he is fungible.

With Tom Glavine likely gone, the Mets need pitching -- starting and relieving. Their starters weren't as bad as some think. They were second in the National League in quality starts and fifth in starters' ERA (4.40). But unless Pedro Martinez stages a miracle comeback, they really don't have a starter who'd be a No. 3 on an American League contender.

They also need Wright, his talent, his extraordinary character, his leadership, his face on the franchise's banners for the next decade. Which is why Jeff Wilpon owes his best player, big-time.