2011 MLB Trade Deadline: The New York Mets Would Be Mistaken To Trade Jose Reyes

Ever since Spring Training began, the New York Mets and Jose Reyes have been dealing with questions surrounding his expiring contract. When the season began, despite fan protests, there was every reason for Sandy Alderson and the Mets to explore trading Reyes at the deadline, especially if he raised his stock with a strong first half.

No one could have expected Reyes to be hitting .341 at the end of June, let alone be leading the National League in hits, multiple hit games, stolen bases, triples and batting average—all while playing nearly every day.

With David Wright and Ike Davis out since May with injuries, Reyes has shown his ability to carry a team, nearly single-handedly keeping the Mets in the wild-card race.  

Certainly re-signing a 28-year-old with a long injury history has its risks, but the Mets would be gravely mistaken to trade away a superstar like Reyes who is just entering his prime.

Reyes is not, as many believe, built entirely on speed. He hits plenty of triples and steals plenty of bases, but he has good gap-power and is showing signs of development as a hitter.

If his legs do begin to slow down in his early 30s, those triples won't disappear, they will simply become doubles.

It's not often that you find a gold-glove caliber shortstop with Reyes' speed, bat and energy. David Wright may be the leader on the Mets, but Jose Reyes has become this team's heart and soul, and trading him away would be a mistake.

The Mets also have to consider that they would not get fair market value in return for Reyes. Teams interested in acquiring him would point to his past injuries and his status as a half-season rental trying to force the Mets to lower their demands.  

There has been talk that many teams might be interested instead in acquiring Carlos Beltran and/or Francisco Rodriguez from the Mets.

If the Mets can avoid the Rodriguez option and allow Beltran to walk, they will save almost $30 million next season. When this is combined with $18 million in savings when Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo's contracts come off the books, the Mets can afford to re-sign Jose Reyes.

If you have a superstar at a key position, you can't receive market value in return for him, and you can afford to bring him back—the decision is clear. Keep Jose Reyes, and ensure he gets what he wants most, as reported by NBCNewYork.com, to be "a Met for all [his] career."