As of this writing, the New York Mets are 43-42. Good, to be sure, but not great, and certainly not enough to keep up with the superior Phillies and Braves. This does not look like a season after which the Mets will return to the playoffs.
Traid Bait: Jose Reyes
The Mets are also in possession of a player about whom Alex Rodriguez said:
“They have the world’s greatest player playing shortstop over there, and the most exciting...I turn on the TV every time I get a chance to watch him.”
That player - Jose Reyes - happens to have a contract that expires after the 2011 season. He plays a premium position, he swings a premium bat, and he could help every team in baseball. So you can do the math. You can see who's being talked about as the best player available as the trade deadline approaches.
If Reyes is available, he really does stand out. He's currently sidelined by a hamstring injury, but it doesn't look like a bad one, and he owns a slash line of .354/.398/.529. He has MLB's highest batting average, leading Adrian Gonzalez by six points. He's second in stolen bases, with 30, and he's only been caught six times. He's first in triples with 15, which is more than 13 whole teams. And he's a shortstop. He's an excellent offensive force who moves around well at an important position, and when you put it all together, you get a hell of a valuable asset.
Valuable assets, of course, tend to be priced accordingly during the season, so if traded, Reyes would be dealt for a few pretty pennies. While it’s hard to project these things, one figures Reyes would cost more than just a top prospect. He’d probably command a package of young players, at least one of them considered Major League-ready, or close to it. He would presumably bring back the kind of package that a lot of the other team’s fans might think constitutes an overpayment.
Ultimately, though, while Reyes is a potential race-changer, right now it doesn’t look like he’s going to get moved. Joel Sherman writes that there’s “almost no way” the Mets will trade their shortstop before the deadline, and regardless of whether or not the Mets are working on trying to re-sign the free-agent-to-be, they would have to be blown away to consider dealing arguably the most exciting player in baseball. Reyes is a trade candidate, and there are plenty of good fits around the league, but odds are that none of the trade rumors ever materialize.
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