New York Mets All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes was arguably having one of the best offensive seasons in franchise history. After seeing limited time on the field since 2009, he was silencing his critics in proving that he could put together an injury free season, something he accomplished in 2005-2008. However his MVP caliber year was put on hold, as a hamstring injury suffered against the New York Yankees will shelve him for at least two more weeks.
Understandably so, Mets GM Sandy Alderson decided to play it safe with Reyes by putting him on the DL retroactive July 3rd. Naturally, this is a huge disservice for the Mets for their immediate future as they are on the cusp of being considered a true contender, but it could benefit them when Reyes hits the free-agent market this winter.
Despite being the great player he is, Reyes has always been considered fragile. No one plays the game faster than the 28-year old, and some believe that his hamstring injuries can be attributed to his recklessness on the base paths. Whether that’s true or not, his presence on the base paths alone is why he is considered one of the best players in the game. A natural “triples” hitter, Reyes gives his team a unique threat at the top of the lineup, and has served as a catalyst for the Mets since he broke into the bigs in 2003.
Reyes deserves a monster contract, but will his sketchy history with injuries drop his value and prevent him from getting “Carl Crawford money”? One could argue that it will, which is good news for the Mets and the several other possible suitors since it will give these teams some leverage as Reyes and his agent Peter Greenberg will be fighting for every penny. But if he continues his record setting season will the hamstring injury become irrelevant? Injuries are a part of the game and if he only misses the 15-20 games is it even that big of a deal?
Also, could he be overachieving because he is in a contract year? We have seen this story unfold several times before, a player puts up huge numbers in the final year of his contract leading to a big pay day. I don’t necessarily think Reyes is overachieving by any means. Keep in mind that he plays at Citi Field, a ballpark that plays to his strengths with its deep outfield ally’s and tricky wall configurations.
The Mets should match any offer to Reyes this winter. His importance to the franchise is felt off the diamond just as much as it’s felt on it. He has shown time and time again he can handle the pressure that comes with playing in New York, something not everyone can do, and he is already one of the most popular figures in team history. It will be interesting to see how teams approach Reyes because of this issue.
