Wright isn?t going anywhere unless someone loses their mind

The possibility of David Wright opening the 2012 season wearing a different uniform has been an early theme in the hot stove season. The New York Post reported over the weekend that the New York Mets could part with the face of the franchise for the right combination of younger talent. Heading to the Los Angeles Angels for a package involving Peter Bourjous was suggested. So was an Austin Jackson-centered deal with the Detroit Tigers.

But while the trade permutations will continue to be floated and considered this winter, Andy Martino of the N.Y. Daily News reports on Monday that Wright isn't likely to head anywhere. A source tells Martino that Mets GM Sandy Alderson would have to be "bowled over" with the return and that the team "suspects" that Wright will bring a bigger haul next July.

That assumption really doesn't seem to make much sense given that Wright can void his $16 million club option for 2013 if he's traded. Maybe another club would take the gamble if Wright gets out to a fast start with Citi Field's shorter fences, but how much would they really risk on someone who might be a half-season rental before taking a shot at an extended free-agent deal after the 2012 season?

As Mike Newman of FanGraphs writes, Wright might not be the golden goose that the Mets front office or fans envision him to be when �you factor in his age, salary and, yes, production.

Writes Newman:

Even with Wright's poor fielding, he has still been able to accumulate 9.5 WAR between 2009 and 2011. However, this leaves him sandwiched between Dodgers Casey Blake and Phillies Placido Polanco amongst true third baseman. This isn't to say I'd prefer either to David Wright, but both Polanco and Blake earned 5.25 million in 2011 while Wright received more than two-and-a-half times as much.

Alderson and the Mets are doing the right thing by looking past 2012 and toward future opportunities once the Phillies dynasty grows older. But if they're being honest, a David Wright trade probably isn't going to lead to a Herschel Walker-like restocking of their farm system.

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