Jose Reyes Having a Career Year, but Will He Finish 2011 as a New York Met?

Beleaguered New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon recently caused a stir when he made rather disparaging remarks about three of his highest-profile players; David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes.

Wilpon's remarks about Jose Reyes were particularly intriguing. Reyes, who is having a career year, is set to hit free agency once the 2011 season ends. As of this writing, Reyes is hitting .349, has 11 triples, 22 stolen bases and is among the league leaders in several statistical categories.

A player like Reyes is coveted because true lead-off hitters just don't exist in the same fashion as they used to. The game has changed so much over the last decade because of everyone's fascination with the home run.

Whether it is steroids or not, home runs have gone down in recent years. This season in particular has been dominated by pitching thus far. Several no-hitters or near no-hitters already and we are halfway into June. 

So, getting back to Reyes. Wilpon told the New York media that Reyes would not get "Carl Crawford money," essentially meaning around $142 million over seven years. Not only would he not get it from the Mets, in Wilpon's estimation, no one would be brazen enough to give Reyes that type of money.

Mind you, Reyes was already having a fantastic season, but he has turned it up another level since those dubious comments by the team's owner. Reyes picked a great time to have a career year. Shortstop is already a thin position across the league and add the fact he is a phenomenal lead-off hitter and you have a guy, potentially, worth more to a team than Crawford.

Reyes, who recently turned 28, has had a problem staying healthy in recent seasons. And anytime you pay for a speed guy, you worry long-term about leg injuries robbing them of their speed over the course of their contract. 

Reyes' statistical peak came from 2005-2008, when he had several good seasons and the Mets were consistently in contention. His career high in batting average for a season in which he played over 130 games was .300, set in 2006.

While Reyes may not say it, he had already ruled the Mets out before the owner made his clumsy remarks. Why would Reyes want to stay on a team that is seemingly always stuck in mediocrity? They will never be the top team in their own city. Reyes is a star and he wants to be paid and treated as such.

Can any baseball fan honestly say they would not like to have Reyes hitting lead-off and playing shortstop? Unless you are the Colorado Rockies and have Troy Tulowitzki, or perhaps the Cubs with young Starlin Castro, or the Marlins with Hanley Ramirez, Reyes would seem to be a fit anywhere. 

The other New York team has an aging icon and would love to somehow make room for Reyes and shift Derek Jeter to DH to finish out his legendary career. Jeter, who is clearly not the same player he was in the field or at the plate, has always been a team player when it came to adding stars from other teams. 

If you are the Mets and you are clearly in rebuilding mode, do you trade Reyes to a contender and request a bounty of young talent? Or do you let the season play out and know all you will get in return is a compensatory first-round draft choice?

That seems like an easy choice, but as we all know, the Mets haven't been the smartest team. But to the delight of Mets' fans everywhere, Omar Minaya is gone and Sandy Alderson is a respected baseball man, so perhaps the Mets will do something smart for once; look towards the future.

In the meantime, if Reyes can stay healthy, he may have the kind of season baseball fans talk about for years. But will he finish the season in New York?