I just question whether signing Reyes to a big money contract, even for only five years, is a cost-effective way of getting that offense. If I could be sure of getting the 2011 Jose Reyes, I’d be all over that signing. But Reyes’s 2011 season just screams “free agent year.” His fielding is mediocre at best, and his career OPS+ is 106 – and that’s including his monster 2011 season! And until 2011 the recent trends weren’t much better than that; in the four seasons before 2011 Reyes posted OPS+ numbers of 103, 101, 118 and 102. Another warning sign that you’re not going to get what you pay for: in 2011 Reyes’s BABIP was .353 – 40 points higher than his career average. When that regressses, it’s taking his offensive production with it.

And that’s not even considering the injury issue; Reyes hasn’t played more than 133 games since 2008, and has recurring hamstring issues. Fairly or not, he has a reputation as a selfish player and has been a player involved in the Mets’ spectacular failures over the past few years.

Reyes is a contract that just screams “Buy High/Potential Albatross Contract” to me. Whoever invests $$$ into Reyes had better be prepared to get a slightly below average fielding, slightly above average hitting, fragile potential malcontent for their money. I really, really hope that team is not the Nationals.