IMO, THE PRESS DRUMMED JOSE OUT OF TOWN WITH THIS MADE OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH CARWFORD CONTRACT BS GUESSTIMATES AS I DID NOT ONCE EVER HEAR THAT NUMBER COME OUT EVEN AS A TARGET FROM ANYONE LEGITIMATELY ASSOCIATED WITR THE REYES’ CAMP, AN AGENT OR JOSE, HIMSAELF. IT WAS THE PRESS GUESSES & FRED’S STATEMENT THAT PUT THAT FIGURE OUT THERE. HELL, MIAMI NEVER HAD TO COME CLOSE THEY DIDN’T EVEN OFFER HIM EQUAL SALARY FROM CURRENT YR OVER THE FIRST 2 CONTRACT YEARS SINCE HIS 2011 NYM SALARY WAS $11M & MIAMI IS ONLY PAYING HIM $10M IN 2012 &z 2013[IF JOSE ACCEPTED A MILLION DOLLAR PAYCUT FROM MIAMI TO REGRETABLY LEAVE WHAST WOULD HE HAVE ACCEPTED TO GET WHAT HE & HIS FAMILY WANTED MOST? STAYING IN NY?]. I BELIEVE THE WILPONS WERE AFRAID HE’D GLADLY GIVE A TREMENDOUS HOMETOWN DISCOUNT OUT OF FEAR OF MAKING HIM AN EVEN LARGER ICONIC PRESENCE TAN HE HAD BECOME.

BTW ANY CONTRADICTION TO THAT CONCEPT IS STRICTLY PERCEPTION WITHOUT SOLID FOUNDATION.

T, IT’S NON-MOVES SUCH AS THIS REYES FALLDERALL THAT HAS RETURNED OUR ONCE BELOVED FRANCHISE BACK INTO THE GENERAL LAUGHINGSTOCK OF SPORTS. MORE SO THAN PIRATES, ASTROS, As,ROYALS, CLIPERS, KNICKS,BAD NEWS BEARS AS THE NYM ARE NOW BACK TO BEING NATIONAL LAUGHINGSTOCKS THAT REQUIRE LITTLE EXPLANATION AS EVEN HOLLYWOOD WRITERS ARE INCLUDING INSULTS INTO CHARACTER BANTER SCENES EXEMPLIFIED IN LAST NIGHT’S EPISODE OF “BLUE BLOODS” AS 2 CHARACTERS WERE BANTERING ON WHAT SHOULD & SHOULDN’T BE CRIMES WITH ONE STATING, “IT SHOULD BE A CRIME FOR THE METS TO CALL THEMSELVES A SPORTS TEAM”

VERY EARLY 90s OF THEM, IMO.

FOR ALL THE CRITICISM OMAR HAS RECEIVED BOTH ACCURATELY & INACCURATELY NO ONE CAN REFUTE HE DID AS MUCH AS ANYIONE TO DISPELL THAT NATIONAL SHAME AS ANYONE SINCE FRANK CASHEN & TO HIS CREDIT, HE DID IT WITHOUT A BOLD OWNERSHIP ALLY LIKE DOUBLEDAY
SURE HE, IMO, WAS FORCED INTO SOME HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE SIGNINGS LIKE ALOU; BUT BASED UPON ACTIVITY BEFORE & SINCE, IT’S MORE LIKELY MOISES WAS THE BEST HE WAS ALLOWED TO ACQUIRE. RATHER THAN HIS CHOICE FROM THE OUTSET FLOYD HAD ALREADY INKED WITH SD LITTLE BETTER WAS LEFT ON THE LATE MARKET WITH NO VIABLE INTERNAL SOLUTIONS ON THE FARM, SOMETIMES BAD BREATH IS PREGFERABLE TO NO BREATH. UNFORTUNATELY I BELIEVE IT IS TIMES LIKE THAT WHEN THE MOST DAMAGE WAS INCURRED BY JEFF’S DABBLING IN BASEBALL DECISIONS

ALL TOO OFTEN MUCH OF OMAR’S DISPARAGEMENT CAME FROM THE PENS PAID BY THE NY DAILY SNOOZE WRITERS CLEARLY OFTEN ON THE SNY(JEFF WILPON) PAYROLL FOR APPEARANCES HOE MANY CONJECTURE PIECES DID THE WRITE LINKINGH OMAR TPO PAST PLAYERS OF INTEREST WELL BEYOND THEIR TIME, YET OMAR NEVER SHOED THE INTERESTR IN THEM THERY SEWD DISCONTENTMENT ABOUT SANS FACTS..
WHILE IT’S TRUE THERE IS AN EPIDEMIC OF MEDIOCRITY RAMPANT IN THE FRONT OFFICES OF FLUSHING’S SPORTS’ PRIDE; BUT IT DATES BACK TO THE RUMORED “TOO MUCH PLAYER INFLUENCES” OF THE EARLY 90s, THE DISRUPTIVE SPYING OF BERNAZARD DELIBERATELY SEWING ANTI-WILLIE SEEDS TO FAVOR AN ACTA PROMOTION AS BERNAZARD’S ULTIMATE “PROTECTOR” WAS REVEALED AS JEFF WILPON. IS IT NOT APPROPRIATELY MACHLIAVELIAN THAT JEFF HEADS UP THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE BERNAZARD AA SHIRTLESS INCIDENT & HAVING MADE A DECISION JEFF SURREPTICOUSLY STEPS OUT OF VIEW LEAVING HIS GM, WELL RENOWNED FOR HIS MALAPROPS(THE JOE BIDEN OF SPORTS GMs) TO FLOUNDER WITHY THE PRONOUNCEMENT ON A SUBJECT, HE WAS LIKELY KEPT IN THAT DARK ON.
AS ONE WHO HAS CLOASELY WATCHED & TRACKED THE BEHIND THE SCENES OF THIS FRANCHISE FOR EVERY ONE OF IT’S 50+ YEARS OF EXISTANCE BOTH CONCEPTUAL & ACTUAL. I FELL VERY JUSTIFIED IN STATING THAT JEFF WILPON IS THE SINGLE WORSTY ENTITY TO BE NYM AFFILIATED IN FRANCHISE HISTORY INCL M.DONALD GRANT & LORINDA DeROULETTE WHILE DOUQUETTE & PETERSON TOOK THE IRE FROM FANS ON THE KAZMIR SACRIFICE, IT WAS JEFF WHOSE FINGERPRINTS WERE ALL OVER THE ENTIRE TRANSACTION AS HE BELIEVED THE LOUDER MOUTHS OF THE UNWASHED WFAN CALLERS PROCLAIMING THE METS WITHIN A PITCHING UPGRADE FROM RELEVANCY AS THEY TOILED THAT SEASON MERELY SINGLE DIGIT GAMES BEHIND THE LEADING PHILLIES WITH A PAIR OF SERIES CLOSE UP ON THER CALENDAR
JEF, DEPERATELY WANMTED TO ELIMINATE THE GM POSITION FOLDING THOSE POWERS INTO HIS RESPONSIBILITIES; BUT FRED SENSED THE NEED FOR BASEBALL GUIDANCE, SEEKING OUT A ONCE RELIABLE EMPLOYEE WHOM HE TRUSTED BEFORE BEING DISPATCHED TO MLB AS A RIVAL BY THEN GM, STEVE PHILLIPS
FROM THAST MOMENT FORWARD, JEFF’S MISSION WAS TO DEVALUE OMAR MINAYA IN AN EFFORT TO BE RID OF THE “BABYSITTER” .

NO INSTANCE BETTER REPRESENTS THE ETERNAL DISCORD BETWEEN OWNER, JUDGE, C.O.O(PROSECUTOR & G.M.(MINAYA) THAN THE CASE OF WILLIE RANDOLPH (DEFENDANT)

JEFF, THE EVER POPULARIST WFAN LISTENER (OF WHOM HE ONCE ADMITTED BELIEVING WAS THE BEST ADVISOR ON WHAT SHOULD BE DONE) PERSONALLY POSSESSES LITTLE TO NO FIRST HANF BASEBALL KNOWLEDGE OR TEAM DYNAMICS KNOWLEDGE SEES HIMSELF AS A UNDERAPPRECIATED, VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO STERLING SUCCESS AS THERE IS LITTLE THAT OVERSHADOWS HIS OWN SENSE OF SELF RIGHTOUS, SELF IMPORTANCE WHEN IN REALITY BOTH ARE DWARFED BY HIS ABSOLUTE INEPTNESS BE IT IN SPORTS OR BROADCASTRING BOTH OF WHICH WERE PRESENTED TO HIM WITHOUT ANY PREKNOWLEDGE OR GUIDE;LINES FOR EXCELLENCE.

FROM A 50 YR+ FAN PERSPECTIVE ala THESE METS I CAN CLEARLY & SUCCINCTLY STATE….,

“WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY & THEY ARE WILPONS!

NO, T, THERE WILL BE NO PEACE IN FLUSHING NOR SENSE OF PURPOSE UNTIL THE WILPONS ARE GONE PRIMARILY DUE TO A FATHER’S LOYALTY TO AN INEPT SON DESPITE THE FATHER’S OTHERWISE VALUE AS A LOYAL BASEBALL GENERALIST.

CERTAINLY THE OWNERSHIP IS FLYING THEIR TRIAL BALLOONS ON THE FATE OF DAVID WRIGHT THROUGHOUT THE PRESS

They are contemporaries.

“Lets talk about shortstops who are in the hall and see how Reyes compares against them.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hof/hofstss.shtml

There’s 21 shortstops in the HOF. Reyes will be better than 14 of those players when he’s done barring injury.”

1) You have to account for different eras

2) barring injury- good luck with that

Since we have such short memories, it might have been that the injury riddled years being so recent I forgot how much he excelled in years prior to that. Saw him make an outstanding play at last year’s home opener going up the middle to turn what looked like a sure base hit into a double play which was the old Jose. But I’m afraid, however, that the injuries might curtail a career for him to be a player that was just good enough not be elected to the Hall. Same with Don Mattingly – he was a sure bet making it into the Hall before injuries befell him and he was a shadow of himself the second half of his career.

Lets talk about shortstops who are in the hall and see how Reyes compares against them.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/hof/hofstss.shtml

There’s 21 shortstops in the HOF. Reyes will be better than 14 of those players when he’s done barring injury.

Give that a once over and try talking to me again.

No, he isn’t. Not even close. Look how long it took Jeter, who has had 1 big injury that caused him to miss real time. Look at where Jeter was at the same age. At 28, Jeter had 1380 hits. Reyes has 1300 hits in 2 more seasons at the same age.

And why would Reyes go in with a cap of a team that he only spent 2 years with?

Bottom line though is it’s done. Like it or not we’re moving on without Jose. I don’t like it but it is what it is.

To speculate what one might have offered or accepted is irrelevant for we can only go by conclusions based on the observations we witnessed. By his actions Alderson did not give any inkling he was planning to retain Jose’s services. Any public posture he took about hoping Jose would remain a Met was not reflected in the actual ways he was handling his operation.

Take into account the moves he has made as G.M. in terms of players released, re-signed or obtained as free agents. One can argue whether they were good moves, bad moves or risks worth taking that just didn’t pan out as hoped for, but the underlining thread that ties them all together is they were all made as if one was working on a very tight shoestring budget. Under those circumstances, a player of Jose Reyes’ financial station would never fit in with the club’s future. A Chris Young, a Chris Capuano, a D.J. Carasco, a Brad Emus, a Willie Harris, etc. would, but not so a Jose Reyes, just as much as it didn’t for a Carlos Beltran, a Krod or even a David Wright.

Now speculating about David’s future based on presumptions which have as much credibility as those that were applied to Jose misses the point. If the money is there, then there will be some sort of negotiation between David and Sandy. It might not work out but at least there will be an offer on the table. If the money is not there, then all that will be said would be public lip service.

Jose didn’t leave the Mets to get more money, even though that was the end result. Jose left – for lack of a better description – because he needed a job. The Mets were downsizing (i.e., salary dumping) and so he was being cut. And though it is business, as mentioned before, it has to hurt.

That is the reality of the situation. The franchise is cutting back drastically on it’s major league level operations due to financial catastrophes that were both out of the owner’s control and brought on by themselves for many reasons. But the bottom line is that circumstances have caused them to salary dump and they are trying to publicly disguise it as re-building. If it wasn’t so drastic, then an offer of some kind would have been put on the table for Jose to either take or reject – even with that mega contract offer from Miami already in place. There is nothing to lose with a counter-offer unless it’s an offer is made with the expectation the other party would reject it out of hand. Like in poker, Sandy folded for he could not afford the risk that Jose would call his bluff and accept the offer. The money was just not there.

We can only speculate what Sandy might have done if he wasn’t hired to be a bean counter. My own thought is that despite being prone to injury, at his age Jose is the type of player one would try to avoid losing if within the fiscal budget to do so.

We can speculate all we want in the wake of what happened, but I’m just saying that most of what I speculated in the 2010 offseason and early 2011 ended up coming to pass.

I didn’t acquire any great power to do it, I simply read the tea leaves based on what I saw first hand, heard directly from Alderson myself, and read on beat writer blogs like many of us do.

What you are asking me to do is pretend Reyes asked Alderson that he’d stay for 5/75. It never happened, and depending on what your agenda is you’ll get two staunch arguments from either side. The other Reyes post proves that.

I was simply relaying what did happen, how I decoded it for myself, and what conclusions it led me to.

All these “what-ifs” only lead to posts with 100 comments arguing one of the two sides and not getting anywhere or convincing one side they have it wrong.

I’d rather stick to what happened and what we know. That alone is sufficient enough for a good debate.

1) can you blame them for wanting to see if he could still play a full season (and put up numbers) after all the problems in 2009-2010? Another way to look at it is, would Jose have taken a deal based on that (4/50?)

2) Do you think if Jose’s agent had said fine, we know money is tight, but offer 5/75 and we stay, that Sandy would have said no?

He’ll get an ovation his first PA.

so what is the $ amount that tells reyes we really love you vs. him getting insulted?

Actually, the Mets DID make him an offer. they offered him arbitration. If he really wanted to stay, just accept it. Almost guaranteed a LT deal happens after that.

it is sitll all about the money though.

and I don’t recall Reyes’ agent trying to work something out or making any offers. Just refusing to negotiate during the season, and multiple comments from Jose that he was excited to play the FA game.

if he wanted to be here, and would have worked with the Mets, he would still be here.

Why make an offer that is less then he already had? It is like going to an auction, and saying you really want a certain item, and have $100 in your pocket. But, the opening bid by someone else is $125. You still gonna raise your hand and say $100?

Reyes’ agent knew exactly what the Mets were willing to go to. Miami beat it out of the gate, so he left. Just business!