BY JOE PANTORNO
For all the Mets fans hoping that David Wright would be the organization’s knight in shining armor, keep dreaming.
The franchise legend shot down any idea that he would come in to manage the Mets after they parted ways with Carlos Beltran on Thursday.
“No,” he said Friday (h/t David Hall, The Virginian Pilot). “I mean, listen: I don’t want to sound cold, and I don’t want to sound disinterested, but I just don’t want to coach. I mean, I’m coaching coed, 3-year-old tee-ball in the spring, but that’s the extent of my coaching that’s going to happen.”
Wright retired following the 2018 season after debilitating neck and back injuries derailed a career that once looked destined to end up in Cooperstown. Now at 37 years old, he works as a part-time advisor for the Mets.
In 14 playing seasons, he set franchise records for career hits, doubles, total bases and RBI.
He’s made it known over the past few years that he has no interest in managing, at least for now. But desperate times within the Mets’ ranks had many hoping that desperate measures could coax Wright into donning the No. 5 jersey once again as bench boss.
The Mets are in the throes of another managerial search — their third in the last two years — after Beltran stepped down on Thursday following his involvement in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal of 2017.
Beltran was a player in his final MLB season and is not going to be penalized by the league despite being the only non-coach mentioned in commissioner Rob Manfred’s nine-page report.
Astros manager AJ Hinch was fired following the league’s findings while his former bench coach and Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora was also shown the door in Beantown.
Still, the Mets and Beltran decided to call it quits three months after his hiring, citing the distraction it would bring to a young clubhouse, amongst other concerns.
While a favorite has not emerged for the Mets’ job, Eduardo Perez, Tim Bogar and Luis Rojas are considered contenders.
This story first appeared on amny.com.
