NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- David Wright's contract extension with the New York Mets is official.
Wright's eight-year, $138 million deal -- which keeps the star third baseman under the Mets' control through 2020 -- was agreed to in the early-morning hours last Friday. Wright underwent a physical on Monday.
Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon was due to pick up Wright in a private plane in the third baseman's hometown of Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday evening for the trip to Nashville.
"I'd like to thank (owners) Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz and Jeff Wilpon for their commitment to me since I was drafted," Wright said in a statement released by the team. "I've grown up in this organization and made lifelong friendships with teammates, uniform personnel and front-office staff. I'm grateful for the opportunity to finish what I've started and help bring the Mets and our fans a World Series title."
"We're thrilled for the organization and our fans that David will be a Met for many years to come," Jeff Wilpon said. "As great a player as David's been with us on the field -- one of the greatest and most popular Mets ever -- he's been equally outstanding in the community."
The Mets started out the offseason trying to secure Wright and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to contract extensions, although both already had been signed for 2014. The completion of Wright's deal allows the Mets to focus on Dickey.
"We said signing David to a contract that would keep him in a Mets' uniform was our top offseason priority," general manager Sandy Alderson said in a statement. "Today is a historic day for the franchise and an important step in securing a winning future for this team and our fans."