That's What Cheesehead - 00.20 - Wright Signs Contract

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Madison GM Chris Wilson continues to try and figure out the best possible way to keep his corps of young players around for as long as possible, and preferably, as cheaply as possible. Another step towards doing that was by signing the club's ace Jessie Wright to a longer term deal avoiding potential arbitration dealings with the young pitcher.

At age 27, Wright was set to enter his first year of arbitration dealings. Contract negotiations that the Wolves were not interested in undergoing with such an up and coming pitcher. Jessie Wright concluded the 2000 season with a 20-6 record and a 2.89 ERA. In all honesty, and bias, Wright should be in great considerations for the JL Steve Nebraska Award for the league's top pitcher. His 20 wins ranked 2nd in the league while his 2.89 ERA was 4th overall in the league. His 276 strikeouts ranked him first overall in the Johnson League while his 1.00 WHIP also ranked him tops overall in the Johnson League.

"As long as people don't get blinded by Lasalle's 23 wins, Wright should be the clear cut winner" said GM Chris Wilson. "No other pitcher in the JL ranks as highly in this many categories. Let's not forget the way he closed out the season. That was just ridiculous!"

Over the final 2 months of the season, Wright started in 12 games and went 9-1 overall. In 97.2 innings pitched from August through September, Wright allowed only 14 earned runs, 47 hits, and 16 walks. In September alone, Wright went 5-0 with a 0.42 ERA and allowed only 16 base runners in 43.0 innings pitched.

"I just got in a groove down the stretch" said Wright. "All of my stuff was working well, I felt unhittable on the mound each and every night."

The contract that Wright and the Wolves have agreed upon will keep Wright in a Wolves uniform for the next 4 years. Three of the years were to be arbitration years with Wright, but the Wolves have opted to just buy those years out and tack on one more year for good measure. Wright will make $3.5 million next season and then $4.0 million in the final 2 arbitration years. In his first free agent season, the Wolves will pay Wright $5.0 million. This locks Wright up with the club until the age of 31, at which point the Wolves can re-evaluate their situation with Wright again to decide what to do with the pitcher that expects to the be the club's ace for the next 4 seasons!