MLB Trade Speculation: 7 Teams the New York Mets May Send Jose Reyes to in July
One could make a great argument that New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes is the heart and soul of the Mets, both offensively and defensively.
Unfortunately, due to many outside issues pressuring the club financially, you can also make a great case that Reyes will more than likely not be on the squad in 2012.
Whether it’s the Mets’ financial woes dealing with the Madoff Ponzi scheme, or GM Sandy Alderson's statement that, “it makes good sense to see him play a time or two before we make decisions”—either way, it seems like Reyes is more than likely a goner.
Quite depressing, to say the least.
However, as Reyes continues to return to the vintage form that we’ve seen thus far in 2011, he will at least command a decent amount of compensation on the trade block.
Here are the seven teams that will more than likely get in on the Jose Reyes bidding war come the July 31st MLB trade deadline.
Minnesota Twins
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If the Minnesota Twins can turn things around from their mediocre 6-10 start, they may be one of the first teams to contact the Mets about 28-year-old Jose Reyes.
The 6-10 start is nothing to stress about, especially being a Mets fan, but it’s more than likely that the Twins will get back into the playoff picture as the season wears on.
They will need a definite upgrade over Alexi Casilla and Matt Tolbert at shortstop if they plan on making a deep run.
With newly signed infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka on the DL for some time, the Twins' middle infield depth is depleted, but their incredible minor league depth may help them be best suited to match up in a trade with the Mets.
With payroll question marks still left lingering from the 2011 offseason, a Reyes-to-the-Twins trade may just be a two-month rental for a run at the World Series crown.
Cincinnati Reds
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This past March, Joel Sherman of the New York Post looked into his crystal ball and made the following prediction.
“Jose Reyes thrives, but the Mets don’t, and a July trade bidding war emerges among the Giants, Angels and Reds. Cincy obtains Reyes by dealing Homer Bailey and shortstop Zack Cozart.”
While this may just be a prediction and not an actual rumor by any means, Sherman may be on to something here.
The Reds are currently settling with Paul Janish and 2010 World Series MVP Edgar Renteria as their defense up the middle, but neither of these athletes are the leadoff-type of hitters that the Reds have been searching for.
Adding Reyes to their infield and at the top of their lineup would fill both of these holes for the short-term while also backing Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Edinson Volquez on their way to defending their NL Central title.
St. Louis Cardinals
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We all heard about the season-ending surgery to Adam Wainwright, which seriously diminished the Cardinals' chances of competing for the NL Central throne, but if St. Louis manages to compete come July, they could become buyers.
With a middle infield consisting of Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot, it’s obvious they’re in need of an upgrade in the form of Jose Reyes.
The switch-hitting Reyes is capable of stealing between 60-70 bases while also playing solid defense and knocking 10-15 home runs.
What’s not to like if you’re in the Cardinals’ front office?
Again, it all comes down to whether the Cards think they can make a run at the playoffs. If it’s possible, expect the phones to be ringing in Flushing.
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Boston Red Sox
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Jose Reyes ending up in a Boston Red Sox uniform seemed like a crazy thing to imagine this offseason, but if the tandem of Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie doesn’t live up to the heavily favored Red Sox' expectations, expect a move to be made in the form of a midseason trade.
Despite Lowrie’s recent tear to begin the season, it would be imprudent to believe he can keep this up forever. Add that to Scutaro’s below-average bat and average defense, and the Sox could be the perfect match to land Reyes.
Boston GM Theo Epstein has been known to pull the trigger and pull off all the necessary deals to create a winning environment in Boston. If there’s a chance Beantown can land one of the best shortstops in the game, you better believe they’ll take it.
Milwaukee Brewers
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If the Milwaukee Brewers can improve on their dismal 77-85 record from a season ago, they may be buyers come the trade deadline.
Gunning to make a postseason run in 2011, the Brewers consciously added some nice pieces to the rotation in Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum. However, they failed to address their middle infield depth, using Yuniesky Betancourt and Craig Counsell at shortstop.
Despite the fact their offseason trades picked away at their minor league depth, the Brew Crew could be contenders come midseason and will be on the lookout for a premier player to put them over the edge in the NL Central race.
New York Yankees
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Honestly, as heart-wrenching as it is to write, you can never create a speculative piece without mentioning the crosstown rival New York Yankees.
With incumbent shortstop and team captain Derek Jeter sitting on the wrong side of 30 years old, Jose Reyes would be one of the better upgrades in a year that saw the Yanks bring in the likes of Russell Martin, Eric Chavez and Pedro Feliciano.
The switch-hitting Reyes would own Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field, while also using his speed to command the basepaths in the Bronx.
As the Yankees say farewell to one of their most loved and loyal athletes, Reyes’ acquisition would usher in a new era of Bombers baseball, while continuing to toy with Mets fans’ emotions all over the country.
San Francisco Giants
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With 37-year-old Miguel Tejada as your starter and 31-year-old Mike Fontenot as your backup, it's no wonder the San Francisco Giants have made their way onto this list of teams looking to acquire the services of Jose Reyes.
Coming off a surprising 2010 World Series victory, the Giants will be looking to reload around their young stars Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Buster Posey and Brandon Belt—and Tejada just doesn’t seem to fit into this youth movement.
If the Giants are still in it come the July 31st trade deadline, expect them to take a real hard look at Reyes’ ability to use a spacious ballpark to his advantage and the overall five-tool skills he’ll bring to any team.
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