NEW YORK -- David Wright already started his offseason workouts -- and, yes, they're at third base.
"I don't own any other gloves," the New York Mets star said with a smile Monday.
Wright recently had his chat with general manager Omar Minaya and is preparing to stay put at third next season -- whether or not the Mets try to sign Alex Rodriguez.
"When I spoke to Omar," Wright said, "he told me, 'Be prepared to be the third baseman in 2008. That's what I took from it and that's the way I'm going about it.
"Alex Rodriguez's name did not come up at any point."
Wright, who won his first Gold Glove last week, had said he would like to speak with Mets management to gauge whether the team might want him to consider switching positions.
Minaya obliged, and Wright appreciated the gesture, calling it a "courtesy."
"I think it got kind of twisted the wrong way. By no way, shape or form do they have to go through me about anything," Wright said. "Those guys are the bosses. I just go out and play the game.
"I don't keep in touch with the front office, nor should they feel obligated at all to let any of the players know what's going on," he added. "I think it's good to have that separation there. But as a fan and, obviously, as part of the team, I'm interested."
One of the game's brightest young stars, the 24-year-old Wright batted .325 with 30 home runs, 107 RBI and 34 stolen bases this year, his third full season in the majors. His .416 on-base percentage ranked fifth in the NL.
Wright also won a Gold Glove despite committing 21 errors. Still, the Mets are thought to be interested in Rodriguez, the free agent prize who played the past four seasons at third base for the Yankees.
With their own lucrative regional sports network and a new ballpark on the way in 2009, the Mets are one of the few major league clubs that probably could meet A-Rod's price tag without emptying the piggy bank. But if they lure Rodriguez across town, where does that leave Wright?
A-Rod, of course, was a Gold Glove shortstop before switching to third base when he was traded from Texas to the Yankees. The Mets, however, have another young All-Star at shortstop in speedy Jose Reyes.
TORE 
