Infielder Jose Reyes told reporters on Friday that he’d like to finish his career with the Mets, but it doesn’t appear the team will re-sign the impending free agent. Mets officials are “lukewarm” about bringing back the 34-year-old, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post, while Marc Carig of Newsday adds (on Twitter) that he’s unlikely to be in their plans next season. Reyes’ fate with the Mets could ultimately hinge on whether they exercise fellow veteran infielder Asdrubal Cabrera’s $8.5MM option (or buy him out for $2.5MM), writes Puma, who notes that Reyes is immensely popular in their clubhouse. Along with his behind-the-scenes presence, including his close relationship with Amed Rosario, Reyes has recovered from a subpar first half to provide a .288/.355/.468 batting line in 155 post-All-Star break plate appearances to make his case for another Mets contract. He signed his current deal last summer after serving a domestic violence suspension as a member of the Rockies, who released him.
More from the National League:
- Phillies general manager Matt Klentak indicated Friday that he’ll emphasize acquiring pitching in the offseason, leading Todd Zolecki of MLB.com to suggest that the team could deal from its logjam of infielders for help in that area. That could mean moving struggling third baseman Maikel Franco, though Klentak still has a high opinion of the 25-year-old. “I absolutely believe in Maikel Franco’s future,” Klentak said. “I think there’s too much talent there. He has the bat speed, the strength, his defense has taken a step forward. All the components are there for Maikel to still be a really good player. I know his numbers right now aren’t what a lot of people expected or hoped, but we still believe strongly in his future.” Despite Klentak’s vote of confidence, Franco simply hasn’t given the Phillies much in the way of results since what looked like a breakout rookie year in 2015. This season has been particularly ugly for Franco, who has slashed a weak .224/.279/.392 and accounted for minus-0.7 fWAR in 559 trips to the plate.
- Giants first baseman Brandon Belt has been out since Aug. 4 on account of a concussion, and the likelihood is that he won’t return this season, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. While Belt has suffered four documented concussions during his career and is still having vision problems related to his latest brain injury, doctors have informed him he’ll make a full recovery. As such, the 29-year-old Belt insists his career isn’t in jeopardy. “It’s not like I’m repeatedly banging my head against something,” Belt told Pavlovic. “If that was the case, it might affect me more in the long term. This is more sporadic and the hits aren’t too terrible. Once I get over these concussions, they tell me that I won’t have to worry about them anymore.”
- The Dodgers have shut down reliever Adam Liberatore and outfielder Franklin Gutierrez for the season, Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets. A left elbow strain limited Liberatore to just four innings this year and has kept him from taking a major league mound since May 30. Gutierrez, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since June 25 with arthritis in his spine. He was on the disabled list earlier in the year with a hamstring strain, making this another injury-marred campaign for someone who hasn’t played 100 games in a season since 2010. After reviving his career in Seattle from 2015-16, the Dodgers inked Gutierrez to a $2.6MM contract over the winter, but the 34-year-old hit just .232/.317/.389 in 63 PAs this season.
Franklin Gutierrez is so talented… Too bad that in the end we are still humans that got ill regardless of our physical condition…
I wonder if the GIants or someone would be interested in a salary dump kind of deal with the Phillies.
Getting rid of one or two of Melancon, Cueto, or Shark could really open up their options.
I’m gonna throw out a (probably awful) trade proposal..
Shark, Moore and Strickland for Franco, Eflin and Cozens
Why would Shark waive his NTC to go to Philadelphia?
He only has a partial NTC, so while you make a valid point if applicable, we do not know the specifics. He can only block 8 teams. He might of put contenders so if it came to being dealt, he’d have more leverage on which contender he wants to go to.
His list is 8 teams he might waive which has indeed been listed and the Phillies aren’t one.
Because the Phillies at least have hope with a good young core developing. On the other hand the Giants have a core of Kelby Tomlinson and Matt Moore, and a slew of washed up veterans lol
Who would wanna take on any of the Giants trash? Giants are an absolute mess
Why would the Phillies give away a huge chunk of their core for the future for old expensive average players?
Giants fans give new definition to the terms delusional and doltish
Phillies don’t need Shark or Moore, Strickland however would be great since we play the Nats 19 times a year! Cozens can’t hit lefties but he’s still young so it’d have to be a much better SP with regards to salary & upside for the Phils to even consider moving him. But I’d take anything to get rid of Franco & Herrera
You can have Cozens. His SO TO BB ratio is the worst in minor league history
Why would the Phillies take your dead wood AND give you anything. For that kind of trade, the Phillies would need your top 2 prospects. Teams aren’t trading for deadbeats anymore. Cueto still has value, but not at that price.
The problem is the Giants top two prospects couldn’t even start for a beer league softball team
I wouldnt take that for Philly either.
I would do Moore for like Edgar Garcia in a pure salary dump but i would imagine the Giants would rather hold Moore with the hope of his value increasing.
Keep Reyes, without question. He’s more valuable than they know. Mets management is simply don’t know what they’re doing. Get rid of the entire coaching staff is what they should be doing.
Agree
I’m amazed that they wouldn’t consider keeping him if the report is true. Uber utility player with a little speed left to help out.
I don’t think Brandon Belt knows how concussions work. Once you have a concussion, you’re MORE susceptible to get another one. I can’t believe the doctors are telling him that he “won’t have to worry about it anymore.” That probably explains why he has 4 concussions already.
That’s the Giants organization for ya. Their team doctors are even incompetent
I think your response is the logic behind his reasoning. He’s had four concussions. And also has a decreasing amount of knowledge about all 3 of them. Oh wait four. Unless you ask Belt twice
I don’t know what I’d do with Franco. On one hand, he has struggled and the Phils need to open up some spots on the IF. On the other hand, his trade value has plummeted and he wouldn’t yield much in return. So do you play him and move others in hopes he puts it all together or move him for 10 cents on the dollar?
neither. u keep him,u keep Crawford and u check the value on Hernandez and galvis and deal 1 accordingly. let the competition between Franco,Crawford, galvis/Hernandez, and kingery play out in spring training and early in the season. the positions defensively will sort themselves out depending on who “wins the battles”
So who’s going to be the biggest bidder for Machado in free agency?
Your mom.
Insightful….yare….
One of the big market teams, or a team making a desperation move to keep fan interest in ‘contention’. If Atlanta HYPOTHETICALLY signed him, I would call that a desperation move as well.
Yankees most likely
This the same Klentak who thought Bucholz was a good option for bringing in by trade ? Get a real gm please philliew ownership
The same GM who got something back for Hellickson
Got something back for Hellickson ? He got what again ? He got trash basically, tart the parade.If he, and people like you, think that Bucholz was a good pitcher to add to your team, You dont know baseball and thats a fact. Been a phillies fan for 40 years and NEVER have seen such a sorry state of organizational pitching as the phillies have. I watched games for there A,AA and AAA teams for 3 years now, Prospects on the mound arent very good at all.
Wow ed! Are you sure that the Phils pitching prospects are not very good at all ?
Belt should sit out the rest of the season….. see you in spring training