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What would Jose Reyes be worth to the Tigers (if they could get him)
The New York Mets' Jose Reyes is a terrific player, one of the best shortstops in the major leagues. The question lately is just how good?
Is he the type of player a club would mortgage the future to trade for as essentially a rent-a-player for the pennant race? He is a free agent following the season, and the Mets are having financial problems (long-time owner Fred Wilpon was involved in the Benard Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal). Also, the Mets are sputtering on the very outside edges of the postseason race as a .500 team. Reyes, who is having a bounce-back season after a couple underwhelming years, is the apple of the eye of Tiger fans collectively. Fans everywhere with contending teams see him the same way.
The Mets, who visit Comerica Park for a three-game interleague series this week, will trade him. There is little doubt about it.
A couple things:
- I don't think the Tigers have the depth of prospects to trade for Reyes. I wouldn't suggest the Tigers trade their top prospect, pitcher Jacob Turner, for him. But even if the Tigers were willing to do so, I'm not sure it would land Reyes.
- Reyes still has his tools and is in his prime. He's lost a little speed from when he was a flash in his early 20s, but can still run. And he hits the ball harder. He will be a good player for a long time.
- He seems motivated by a contract drive. That is great news for the team that gets him for the pennant race. It might not be so good for a club that signs him to what figures to be an extraordinarily big free agent contact. He might get as much as a $140 million deal.
- If the deal cost the Tigers Turner, and they put Reyes at shortstop and Jhonny Peralta at third base, they'd have to win the division and at least reach the World Series, or the deal wouldn't be worth it, right?
My column in Tuesday's Oakland Press
Tigers best friends might be their supposed foes in American League Central: http://bit.ly/kxvA6c
Is he the type of player a club would mortgage the future to trade for as essentially a rent-a-player for the pennant race? He is a free agent following the season, and the Mets are having financial problems (long-time owner Fred Wilpon was involved in the Benard Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal). Also, the Mets are sputtering on the very outside edges of the postseason race as a .500 team. Reyes, who is having a bounce-back season after a couple underwhelming years, is the apple of the eye of Tiger fans collectively. Fans everywhere with contending teams see him the same way.
The Mets, who visit Comerica Park for a three-game interleague series this week, will trade him. There is little doubt about it.
A couple things:
- I don't think the Tigers have the depth of prospects to trade for Reyes. I wouldn't suggest the Tigers trade their top prospect, pitcher Jacob Turner, for him. But even if the Tigers were willing to do so, I'm not sure it would land Reyes.
- Reyes still has his tools and is in his prime. He's lost a little speed from when he was a flash in his early 20s, but can still run. And he hits the ball harder. He will be a good player for a long time.
- He seems motivated by a contract drive. That is great news for the team that gets him for the pennant race. It might not be so good for a club that signs him to what figures to be an extraordinarily big free agent contact. He might get as much as a $140 million deal.
- If the deal cost the Tigers Turner, and they put Reyes at shortstop and Jhonny Peralta at third base, they'd have to win the division and at least reach the World Series, or the deal wouldn't be worth it, right?
My column in Tuesday's Oakland Press
Tigers best friends might be their supposed foes in American League Central: http://bit.ly/kxvA6c
Labels: Jose Reyes
posted by Pat Caputo at
7:05 PM
2 Comments:
A pennant race rental of Reyes is a good idea - then you see what post-season negotiation with Reyes the free agent entail.
But I think there are more concerns than just who you give up - there are chemistry concerns as well. Cabrera is the young stud super-star - solo - along with a team comprised of wiley old vertran stars and a bunch of guys just reaching the bigs. It's a good mix of every day position players if you think about it.
What happens (if the Tigers should pull it off) when all national attention focuses on the new Tigers star - not Cabrera / Verlander - and you see tag lines like " .. take on Jose Reyes and the Detroit Tigers ... ".
I know these guys are professionals - but they are really no different than any other high paid pros with the "do you know who I am" quotes from the past.
So Book, in short - it looks great on paper - but there is a risk!
Great problems to have though. So now who's on second agian?
I am all in for Reyes. Sell the farm as long you do not include Turner and Nick C. I think in the right system Oliver and Perry will flourish. They could use as trade bait. Hope they can resign him in the fall.
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