MLB Contract Issue: Jose Reyes Won't Negotiate During Season

Jose Reyes is looking for big money, but it won't be until the season is over.

The Mets star shortstop told the team that he is not interested in negotiating a new contract until after the season has ended. This could lead the Mets to start looking for trade offers, as they are not willing to let Reyes wail this offseason for nothing more than draft picks.

Reyes said that he wants to remain a New York Met, but he wants to wait until after the season to negotiate. He also stated he doesn't want any distractions right now.

"It's not about the money, it's about me being comfortable," Reyes said. "I still want to be here. I've said it before. I want to finish my career here. But there's still a long way to go, so we'll see what happens."

The Mets announced that they will respect Reyes' wishes and wait until the off season to start negotiations. The Mets will be the only team allowed to negotiate with Reyes for a brief time after the World Series. But after that, he is open to negotiate with anyone.

All this puts the Mets in a difficult position. If the Mets are in the race by July 31st, then it will be hard to trade Reyes, who is one of the best players in baseball right now. If they do trade him, then the season could fall apart and upset an already unstable fan base.

Or the Mets will keep him, try to negotiate, but risk giving him up for almost nothing.

Jose Reyes this year is playing for a huge contract. Reyes is batting .341 with an NL leading 103 hits. He also leads the majors in triples with 12 and is second in stolen bases with 26.

No matter where Jose Reyes goes, he will get big money. The Mets certainly want to keep Reyes, but Reyes will not leave money on the table. This could be the start of a long and painful time for the New York Mets.