News from yesterday is that Jose Reyes will not seek an extension during the 2011 season.
“I want to be focused on trying to help this team win a lot of ball games. So I don't want to hear about anything like that. I just want to play baseball for now,” Reyes said.
Yeah, sure. But your agent can do whatever he wants. If Reyes’ agent, Peter Greenberg, and Sandy Alderson can come to an agreement for a deal that works for both sides, I think he’ll sign no matter when it is. Same holds true for any player that ever says that.
This isn’t the ‘50s. Players aren’t negotiating their own contracts anymore.
You may recall Ralph Kiner’s story he tells every season about when he was signing a new contract while playing with the Pirates. The player would go into the room with the general manager, who would make an excuse to leave the room for a phone call. On the table would be falsified contracts for some of the star players on the team. The player negotiating would take a look, see that the star was only making X amount, and realize he couldn’t ask for more than that.
Hilarious in retrospect, I think.
But now with agents, none of that matters. The player will let the agent know his expectations and demands, and the agent will argue with the team.
In the end, barring catastrophe, I think the Mets extend Reyes at some point. It won’t be a distraction. It won’t be an excessive contract.
And it will be the right move.