The New York Mets had their six-game win steak snapped last night in a 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals. They still showed the same fight and clutch pitching that had brought them to this point, but fell a bit short.
Now the Mets will look to start a new win steak when they head to Philadelphia for a three game set with the Phillies.
But no matter how well the Mets play, they have some tough decisions ahead.
Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran headline the list of players the Mets may look to trade if they fall out of contention. They’re not in contention now of course, and general manager Sandy Alderson has stated that he’s contacted several teams already to discuss their potential interests, but no one is willing to talk this early.
The Mets shouldn’t be either, but Alderson is just doing his due diligence, and rightfully so.
Beltran is most assuredly going to be traded at some point this season, it’s just a matter of to who and for what. He has shown an ability to play every day, something even the Mets weren’t expecting when the season began, and he’s been hitting well. For a contending team looking to add some pop, Beltran would be a valuable piece.
But Beltran’s value pales in comparison to that of Reyes.
The Mets have quite a quandary on their hands. The better Reyes plays, the more valuable he becomes in a trade, not to mention the more expensive he becomes to resign. But he has the most value to the Mets, who have enjoyed his lead off services since 2005.
It’s unknown whether Alderson and the Mets have both the desire and financial wherewithal to keep Reyes in Flushing.
But here are five reasons for and five reasons against resigning Reyes. The first five are pro-resigning, the last five are against.