Steven Wright
Steven Wright has employed a varied approach to scuttling a once-promising career. A 15 game suspension for a personal contact violation, bagging a PED suspension, a laundry list of injuries, and now sitting on the sidelines via arm surgery and a release ticket from the Red Sox. Wright burned brightly for one season before an ill-fated injury extinguished the flame.
Wright was a pitch specialist who had managed to corral the knuckleball and revive a career that was stuck in the minor league swamps. The portly right-hander became an All-Star at 31-years-old and went 13-6 before a shoulder injury as a pinch-runner (yikes!) started the cascade of misfortune.
Wright’s last Boston payday was a $1.375 MM contract for 2019 season – a season curtailed by injury. The injury list that Wright accumulated was rather remarkable with shoulder bursitis, knee injuries, toe contusions and now Tommy John Surgery. At 35-years-old Wright may be finished or maybe not?
Knuckleball pitchers are not my favorite pitching species. If the quirky pitch is not performing as expected the day or night will be delightful for those hoisting the lumber. The pitch also extends careers as many of the more capable extended their careers in their 40s. So this is a never say never, but Wright should and could have been a worthy successor to Tim Wakefield.