The Mets Should Still Trade Jose Reyes

The Mets have a huge decision to make in the next few weeks.  What should they do with All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes? 

Well, I have a solution.

The Mets should trade Reyes for several reasons.

First and foremost, they won't be able to afford him.  Reyes wants a deal similar to the one Carl Crawford signed with the Red Sox (7 years, $142 million).  He’s having an MVP-type season and he’ll get that kind of money from someone.  He's never going to have more value than he does right now. 

The 28-year old is making $11 million this season – the final year of a deal signed in 2006.  He’ll want a raise and the Mets don’t have any money. No one is going to their games and their owners are being sued for $1 billion. Signing players to long-term deals will cripple their franchise.  We don't even know if their current owners will still be the owners a year from now.

This Wright, Reyes, Santana and K-Rod core hasn’t worked.  They blew huge leads in 2007 and 2008.  They were awful in 2009 & 2010.  It’s a dysfunctional clubhouse and a team with no future.

Secondly, Reyes isn't going to negociate during the season.  If the Mets don’t sign him when the season ends, he’s going to go to the team that gives him the most money.  If it’s not the Mets, then they’ll lose him and get nothing in return.  If they trade him, at least they’ll get something for him.  His value is high right now.  There’s a big market for shortstops - especially shortstops hitting .350.

Put yourself in Reyes' shoes for a moment.  Would you want to re-sign with the Mets?

They are essentially a .500 team with bad owners that have made the same bad player decisions and management moves for years.  They are going to lose their top players at the trade deadline (K-Rod, Beltran).  I don’t think any Met that’s been injured has been really happy with the Mets team doctors (Reyes calf, Ryan Church, Jeff Francoeur, Carlos Beltran).

Wouldn’t you want to sign with a team that’s in a position to win and will pay you the money you want?  This is a slam dunk.  The Mets are a 500 team.  Reyes wants to win.  He can go somewhere next year that can win and contend right now.