I had written this for leadoff Monday but after an hour of looking around for inspiration for something for today (and failing) I’m going to play this card now and let tomorrow solve itself:
I was really taken back by Saturday’s suggestion that the Mets would move Jose Reyes in the middle of the season.
Whenever I had pondered moving Reyes I always imagined it as an off-season thing, not at the trade deadline.
Trade deadline moves can sting.
You’re pretty familiar with the Midnight Massacre in 1977. Many of you remember how it felt to hear Dykstra and McDowell were shipped away – and at least there the Mets in theory got a good player.
If you missed those, this one will feel different than an aging Keith Hernandez or an aging Mike Piazza not returning. This won’t be Pedro in a Phillies uniform. This one will be weird.
How are you going to feel when August 1 comes and Jose is in another uniform and Sandy tells you he got “Dan Norman, Doug Flynn and Steve Henderson” in return? I’ll tell you right now that fans are going to lose their minds. Even if “Norman, Flynn and Henderson” turn out to be the best three players the Mets ever have, August 1 will feel empty.
Whatever you think of Reyes, there is no denying he is way up the career leaderboard in many of the offensive categories.
As I thought about the idea of trading Jose midseason (in a scenario where the Mike-Pelfrey-as-ace Mets are out of it) makes sense.
If he is playing well, he brings value. If they re-sign him he’ll probably be pricey. Maybe the Moneyballers and the VORPians think there’s a better way to spread the dollars.
If he isn’t playing well – why re-sign a shortstop who is going to cost at least $11 million?
This sure is an interesting scenario.
I will stand by what I’ve said in the past: Jose Reyes will one day win the American League MVP.