Mets' Alderson: Reyes Contract Talks 'Unlikely' This Spring
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Mets general manager Sandy Alderson admitted Tuesday that "it's unlikely" he'll begin contract talks with Jose Reyes this spring.
Flushing faithful worry that shortstop Jose Reyes, unsigned after 2011, could be a possible casualty of New York's financial woes.
"To be honest with you, right now, I'm not thinking about my contract," Reyes said last week. "I'm thinking about helping this team win a lot of ballgames and see what happens."
There has been some speculation whether Reyes is Alderson's preferred type of player.
"I would disagree with that statement," said Alderson. "That probably alludes to his reliance on speed and my sense that maybe speed is not as critical. But he brings so many different things to the table, as I've said earlier, that you can't just focus on the speed element.
"The speed element is a plus. There's no question about that, and well appreciated by me by the way."
Alderson wants to see Reyes perform on the diamond this season before making any contract decisions.
"I'm the kind of person that likes to get a feel for people and how they tick and be around them a little bit," Alderson said. "This isn't just about scouting evaluations, this is getting comfortable with Jose and other people who are in camp as someone who hasn't been around."
Alderson also reiterated that a lawsuit against the Mets isn't limiting his moves as the team's new general manager.
"I'm confident I can do anything with any one individual player," Alderson said at the Mets' spring training complex. "At this point I'm not facing any limitations. At this point I don't expect to."
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