Question: Who will replace Jose Reyes
In case you missed it, from last night…
Jose Reyes has a slight tear in the tendon between his knee and the hamstring, he will rest for two days and then be reevaluated.
From what I can gather, people connected to the Mets believe he is likely to be out of action through at least the All Star break.
However, people close to Reyes believe he could be back sooner, because it’s the tendon not the actual hamstring that has been comprised.
Nevertheless, the question now is: Who will play shortstop?
Jerry Manuel has said he does not see Alex Cora as an every-day player, because he is so valuable in other spots.
That said, Wilson Valdez is not the answer, either.
Mark Grudzielanek is also still a free agent.
The A’s may look to trade SS Bobby Crosby, though he’s batting just .207 with two HR and 21 strike outs in 42 games, and it has been years since he ended a season hitting over .230, though he has played every position on the infield this season.
Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette believes the Pirates will look to trade SS Jack Wilson, who is hitting .264 with just 11 extra base hits.
The Red Sox and Royals have both been linked in rumor to Wilson.
From what I can gather, Wilson will be much easier to acquire if the new team is willing to pick up all of the $13 million left on his contract between now and the end of next season.
There have been slight rumblings in baseball that the Blue Jays could look to trade SS John McDonald, while the Indians might field offers for Johnny Peralta, who hit roughly .275 with 20 HR each of the last two years.
Last week, there was a lot of talk about the Mets having interest in Indians infielder Mark DeRosa, but I believe the team views him more of a solution for the bench, first base and third.
For what it’s worth, I have not yet found a person in baseball who believes DeRosa is capable of playing strong defense at short, where he has played just eight times in the last three seasons.
In the minor leagues for the Mets, Triple-A SS Jonathan Malo is hitting .242 in his last 10 games; however, 19–year-old Double-AA Jose Ruben Tejada is batting .281 with 13 extra base hits and a .381 OBP.
Omar Minaya once told me an interview that he had interest in signing SS David Eckstein prior to last season.
Eckstein is hitting 242 in 53 games for the Padres, where he has been starting at second base, though there have been no published reports suggesting he is yet available in a trade.
Regardless, the way I see it, whomever the Mets lean on to play shortstop must be on the field every day, since it is important to have a consistent person at such a key defensive position.
