New York Mets not to make an offer for Jose Reyes this early – MLB Update
New York Mets’ general manager Sandy Alderson reiterated the ballclub’s stance on free agent Jose Reyes, clarifying that the management does not plan to make an offer for the 28-year-old in the near future.
It will be vital to point out here that all teams are allowed to exclusively negotiate with their players before 12:01 am on Thursday, November 3, after which the players will be in a position to test the free agent market themselves.
The Players’ Association issued a list of 148 free agents this year, seven of them hailing from the Mets. While sources have hinted that the Mets will re-sign most of them, Reyes has been the most intriguing question since the World Series ended.
Alderson had earlier stated that the management might offer a lowly contract to Reyes initially and then allow the market to put a price tag on the player. The Mets are considering slashing their payroll from the 140-million-dollar mark down to 115-million-dollar
mark and with Reyes onboard, this will be a tough ask.
Furthermore, the Mets are not interested in offering a long-term contract to the 28-year-old slugger, who is a rare talent playing at Shortstop. He was crowned batting champion for the first time this season, gaining comparison with the likes of Derek Jeter.
However, the Mets now find it hard to accommodate him in the team, primarily because of his growing importance and an equally inflated price tag.
The general manager asserted that free agents are usually attracted to other clubs, but Reyes has not signalled anything of this sort. When asked to clarify, Alderson stated that Reyes might have to compromise on the monetary incentive as well as the length
of the contract if he desires to play for the only ballclub that he has ever known.
"Things are going to go slow, which I think is typical of most if not all free agents," Alderson said. "That's not just because players are attracted to other clubs, but because they're not really sure what the market is."
Alderson believes that Jose is a unique free agent and thus offering a contract without considering what the market thinks will not be an efficient way.
Tags: