With the shortstop uninterested in negotiating a new deal until the season ends, the Mets are sure to have plenty of competition in the Hot Stove sweepstakes.
While many figured the Mets would not be willing to offer a monster contract, that may not be the case. The New York Post is reporting that general manager Sandy Alderson plans on making a "substantial offer" to Reyes this winter, according to two sources close to the situation.
Besides Reyes' gaudy numbers — he currently leads the majors in batting average (.354), hits (124), triples (15) and is second in stolen bases (30) — the Mets executive may be inclined to shell out big bucks for Reyes in order to appease the team's fan base.
"There is more going on here [when it comes to Reyes] than the game on the field," Alderson told the Post.
With the Mets 10 1/2 games back of division-leading Philadelphia, there have been rumors of New York looking to trade Reyes in order to garner something in return during the season. But with the 28-year-old suffering a hamstring injury on Saturday and the news that the Mets have serious interest in re-signing Reyes, a trade prior to the July 31 deadline is now highly unlikely.
So how much would the Mets be willing to throw at Reyes? A source told the Post the team is willing to commit nearly $20 million per year, but is hesitant to offer a lengthy deal due to the shortstop's penchant for injuries. Reyes has missed 155 games the last two seasons.
The fear for the Mets is that if the speedster gets slowed by injuries again and cannot complete the length of his contract, it will be dead money on the club's payroll.
For a franchise that will be paying Bobby Bonilla until 2035, you can understand why the front office would be cautious.
