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Report: Mets, Jose Reyes To Open 'Secret' Contract Talks

NEW YORK (WFAN) -- The Mets may not have to wait until after the season to negotiate with Jose Reyes after all.

According to the New York Post, "secret talks" between the club and Reyes will get underway soon -- if they haven't already.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson announced on June 21 that he had opened the door to contract negotiations with Reyes' agent, Peter Greenberg, but was told the All-Star shortstop would rather wait until after the season to try and work out a deal.

"He wants to focus on baseball, on what's going on on the field, and with that in mind, we will respect his wishes and hopefully pick up negotiations at the end of the season," Alderson said last month.

A source for The Post said that was merely a ruse to protect Reyes and the Mets from daily scrutiny. Alderson wouldn't discuss the reported Reyes contract talks on Wednesday.

"I am no longer commenting on that possibility," he told the paper.

It's looking more and more likely that the Mets, playing well and in the National League wild card hunt, won't trade Reyes before the July 31 deadline. But can they afford him?

And will the money needed to lock up Reyes, who has been plagued with leg injuries throughout his career and is currently on the cusp of another DL stint, be too much of a gamble?

"It's not about the money, it's about me (being) comfortable," Reyes said after his camp denied the Mets in June. "Nothing's changed. I want to stay here. Like I always say, I want to be a New York Met all my career. But right now I just want to play baseball."

"The Mets did the right thing reaching out to Reyes," WFAN's Rich Coutinho wrote last month. "It cemented the notion that they want him back. Now the question becomes for how long and how much?"

What do you think of the "secret talks" report? Sound off in the comments below...

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