New York Mets: Did Owner Fred Wilpon's Comments Stamp Jose Reyes' Ticket Out?

Jose Reyes’ days as a New York Met may be numbered.

Hey, don’t look at me. I didn’t say he didn’t deserve a big contract.

No, that was Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon.

In a recent article in The New Yorker, Wilpon discussed his rags-to-riches story. He talked about the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. He weighed in on the Mets’ financial woes.

And he took what appears to be somewhat of a shot at Reyes in the process:

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“He thinks he's going to get Carl Crawford money. He's had everything wrong with him. He won't get it.”

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Crawford inked a seven-year, $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox after serving as the face of the Tampa Bay Rays franchise for nearly a decade.

Reyes, a three-time All-Star who won the Silver Slugger in 2006, led the National League in hits in 2008 and is the Mets all-time franchise leader in triples and stolen bases, could hit free agency at the end of the season if the Mets decide not to re-sign him, and rumors have swirled about potential destinations should the Mets decide to unload the shortstop before the trade deadline.

Reyes is just 27, and after missing most of 2009 with a torn calf and later a torn hamstring, his long-term durability came into question.

But despite a hyperactive thyroid gland causing him to miss the start of the regular season in 2010, he came back strong.

In 133 games, Reyes hit .282 and posted 10 triples with 11 home runs and 30 stolen bases in 2010. Hardly a career year, but good enough to merit his third-career All-Star selection.

He missed that game due to injury, too.

But that didn’t stop the Mets from picking up the $11 million option on Reyes before the 2011 season.

And so far in 2011, Reyes has rewarded the Mets handsomely.

While the team courts mediocrity, hovering around .500 and outside of the discussion in the NL East, Reyes leads the majors in stolen bases with 17 and in triples with six. Only three shortstops have a better batting average than his .310 and only four top his .817 OPS. He’s among the league leaders in every major offensive category among shortstops.

Oh yeah, and he and David Wright are supposed to be the faces of the franchise.

A Carl Crawford-type deal is out of the question for Reyes not because his production lacks or his durability is questionable. It’s because there are no shortstops among baseball's 25 highest-paid players. It’s because only one major league team has a shortstop holding the team's biggest contract (Los Angeles Dodgers, Rafael Furcal—although you could consider the Texas Rangers’ Michael Young a shortstop).

The Mets have paid Reyes $34.25 million for his nine years of service (including 2011). And while no one is making the argument that Reyes should be given a mega deal, if Reyes continues his All-Star-worthy 2011 performance through September, there’s no reason, after two seasons of steady production among the best at his position, that Reyes should not get a new deal.

Carlos Beltran got overpaid. Johan Santana and Jason Bay weren't far behind.

Wilpon nailed it. Reyes won't get big money in the free-agent market. But a new deal in New York wouldn't be a bad move. In fact, it could be a good enough move to change the spending culture in New York.

Your move, Fred.