Jose Reyes Will Make Mets Pay For Wilpon's Remarks

Last month, New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon told The New Yorker magazine that his star third baseman and soon to be free-agent, Jose Reyes, would never get "Carl Crawford money."  He also threw in a few tidbits like Reyes had "everything wrong with him" and "he won't get it" to stress his point.   Those fateful words may now come back to haunt the financially-troubled owner.

Reyes is off to a mind-boggling MVP-type season and leading a mid-season surge to a once improbable Mets wild-card playoff spot.

Forget Carl Crawford bucks, Reyes has even been bandied about as the next New York Yankees shortstop--replacing cross-town icon Derek Jeter.  We're talking desperate Yankees dollars now.

Reyes has not publicly mentioned himself as being trade-bait or packing his bags for another team, but Metsies shouldn't speculate that their star wants to remain with the Mets.

The 28 year-old Reyes is still attached to his long-time agents even though there has been rumors about super-agent Scott Boras poaching the highly-desirable Reyes.

Reyes' current agents are Chris Leible--the godfather of two of Reyes' kids--and Peter Greenberg.  Both associates have stood by Reyes through a couple of injury-plagued seasons and cries of overrated by fans and media.  By the way, the two men are also friends of their client.

Reyes claims people are getting the wrong idea after a Fox Sports story said the Mets player had spoken with Boras.

"There is no chance I would ever leave those guys," said Reyes of Leible and Greenburg.  " I mean, I have been with them since I was 17."

Wilpon might one of those people who are getting the wrong vibe from Reyes.  The Mets owner might read into Reyes snub of Boras as some sign of loyalty.

The Mets are probably under the impression that by staying with his agents, Reyes can't be shopped around by Boras and a reasonable offer could keep their prize in his Flushing surroundings.  That glimmer of hope is based on the delusional reasoning that since Reyes isn't represented by a blood-seeking shark who seeks the maximum contract for his clients, he is more about keeping contract talks simple and staying cozy with the Mets.

Fat chance.

Reyes doesn't need Boras to get a huge contract.  About two-third of the majors could use a lead-off third baseman who is currently leading the NL with a .341 average and 103 runs scored.

If Reyes isn't traded by the July 31 deadline, expect the free-agent flood-gates to open and the Mets left standing without their rubber boots.

Reyes' agents have not said what they are seeking, but it's a sure bet it will be a lot more than the $17 million per season that Jeter is getting.

Crawford signed a seven-year contract with the Boston Red Sox for $142 million.

At the moment, the Mets and Reyes are world's apart on what the team wants to pay and what their third baseman is expecting. He's earned it and Wilpon showed no devotion of his own when he dissed Reyes in public.

 According to the New York Daily News, Reyes' friends say he talks about what he is looking for when the Met is away from the diamond.

"He talks about it all the time," said one buddy.  "And if the Mets think they're getting him for, like, $95 million, they're wrong.  He's going to get paid.  He's clear about that."

Whatever the outcome, Wilpon is going to have to put a lot of money where his big mouth is if the Mets want to keep Reyes in blue and orange.

New York Yankees Off-Season Acquisitions Get Passing Grades...So Far

New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman didn't land the the two big studs he had hoped for in the off-season and had to settle for a mish-mosh of cast-offs, over-priced players and more old guys.  One-third through the 2011 season and it's time to grade Cashman's big winter pick-ups.

The Yankees missed out on landing the class valedictorians Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford and ended up settling for the Sweathogs.  The Yankees still have a slim lead in the AL East and can attribute some of their success to a couple players in this unlikely group.

The Yankees lost Andy Pettitte and the starting rotation still got older.  Contributing to that math is the addition of 38 year-old Bartolo Colon and 35 year-old Freddy Garcia.

Both pitchers were picked up for bargain-basement minor-league contracts and looked like they were headed down to the farm until no young arms rose to the occasion in spring training and Phil Hughes later went down with "dead arm."



Colon, coming off a a season-and-a-half layoff has been sensational for the most part.  He is coming off a complete game shutout against the Oakland A's and has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career.  The hefty rightie has a 3-3 record with a 3.26 ERA and 62 KO's against only 15 walks.  Colon's remarkable recovery from arm troubles is being scrutinized by MLB because of the controversial stem-cell procedure he underwent last year.  That's one demerit. He still hits 96 mph on the radar gun and has become the Yankees #2 starter.  Gets extra credit for comeback of the early season.

Bartolo Colon:  Grade B-plus.

Garcia won the fifth spot in the rotation, but hasn't been as over powering as Colon.  He came over from the Chicago White Sox where he was 12-6 last year.  Garcia threatened to dump his contract if he went to the minors but has been a capable #5.  He didn't get his first start until the third week of the season, but has gone 4-4 with a respectable 3.34 ERA and 41 strikeouts.

Freddy Garcia:  Grade B-minus.   

Catcher Russell Martin was coveted by the Red Sox but chose the Yankees because he said they seemed to want him more in the Bronx.  The Yankees are glad he is in pinstripes.  The 28 year-old Martin has been hot and cold but has made fans forgetting about Jorge Posada being behind the plate a little easier.  The former Los Angeles Dodger All-Star has showed no signs of last year's bum hip and performed capably behind the plate and beside it.  He is only batting .242 but has hit 9 home-runs and knocked in 26 RBI's--typical Posada numbers when he was in his prime.  Martin also has stolen 6 bases.  Martin is also a nice catching bridge until the team can bring up Jesus Montero--if he's not traded.

Russell Martin:  Grade B. 

Andruw Jones has seen limited time in the outfield and at DH, but has shown he still possesses the power he wielded at the plate.  The 34 year-old slugger has less than 60 at-bats, and with Nick Swisher finally starting to show some pop in his bat, it looks like Jones will only be replacing Posada against lefties most of the time.  Jones has gotten his few hits in critical situations and has 4 HR's and 10 RBI's which makes his .230 average a push.

Andruw Jones:  Grade C. 

Utility infielder, Eric Chavez, has seen limited time and is more valuable to the Yankees as Alex Rodriguez's replacement when he tweaks a hammy or hits in the DH spot.  The 34 year-old veteran is batting .303 and has knocked in 6 RBI's.  He gets extra credit for understanding his place on the team.

Eric Chavez:  Grade C. 

Last but not least is the class clown Rafael Soriano.  The $35 million set-up man has been nothing but trouble since Cashman reluctantly signed him to a three-year contract.  Soriano has been disrupting the classroom ever since.

The moody pitcher is currently on the DL for 6-8 weeks but not after blowing crucial saves, avoiding the press and, when he does utter something, says such bon-mots like "I don't think the bullpen is the problem right now.  I think it's the hitters," after he self-destructed on the mound.

Until Soriano gets over his elbow and mouth issues, he gets detention for joining a long list of Yankee newbies unable to handle the New York media.

Rafael Soriano:  Grade Incomplete.

All-in-all, Cashman did a respectable job filling in the pieces with questionable and recovering players.  It's a passable class with a lot of repeat seniors.  More like the scrappy vocational guys in auto shop than the academics concentrating on their SAT's.  It remains to be seen how long Colon and Garcia hold out.

For the record, so far this year, Carl Crawford is spotting a C and Cliff Lee is looking at a soft C-plus for being the teacher's pet.