It's been rumored, it's been speculated, it's been debated...and now, it's been confirmed: free agent Jose Reyes has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Miami Marlins, the first "big" free agent to be signed this offseason. If nothing else, this shows that the Marlins, who have reached out to almost every star player since the World Series ended, aren't just talking; they're highly interested in getting things done and becoming a perennial contender.
According to ESPN.com, the deal was worth $90 million for 6 years at first before Marlins brass upped it to $111 million ($106 million guaranteed with an option for a 7th year at $22 million, and a $5 million buyout clause if the option isn't picked up). The Mets and Brewers were supposedly in the running for Reyes' service (Reyes spent his entire 8-year career in Flushing before the end of this season, and Milwaukee was also kicking the tires with their shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt also being a free agent), but neither offered more than $85-90 million, and couldn't match or surpass Miami's offer once it was increased. The deal comes a few days after the Marlins signed closer Heath Bell, who passed his physical and is expected to be announced during the Winter Meetings that begin tomorrow in Dallas, and the Reyes signing means that Miami shortstop Hanley Ramirez will be converted into a third baseman, which effectively kills two birds with one stone.
With this move, and the decline of the powerhouses in Philadelphia, it seems like the Marlins are emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the NL East. As I wrote in the last post, a Marlins lineup with Reyes, Ramirez, Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison would be tough to control for opposing pitchers, and a rotation with a healthy Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco could prove to be dominant, especially with closer Heath Bell in the bullpen for them. The worst part for fans in Atlanta or Philadelphia (and especially those in New York), the Marlins are still players for the services of Mark Buehrle or CJ Wilson, making their formidable rotation even scarier. Before we start touting the Marlins as the 2012 World Series champs, however, we need to remember that the way teams look on paper doesn't necessarily translate onto the field. Injuries, weather and bad luck can ruin a team's season (2011 Red Sox). Reyes' injury history is not only well-documented, it's one of the reasons many teams didn't even make an offer to him. When healthy, he's the best leadoff hitter in the game today, but it won't matter if he only plays in 100 games. The Marlins are taking a big risk, but if he stays healthy, the reward far outweighs that risk.
This move does have some interesting implications, though. First, Hanley Ramirez will be moving to third base, a move that he said he'd be willing to make if the Marlins signed Reyes, but not necessarily happy to do so. Ramirez isn't known for having the "team-first" attitude, which was one of the reasons former manager Jack McKeon benched him in one of his first acts last season (another reason was his rapidly declining batting average/OBP). But even Ramirez has to understand that Reyes has not only been around longer, but has played shortstop longer, and the metrics prove that he's better defensively than Ramirez (.968 fielding percentage to .957, and a whopping 6.2 to Ramirez's 1.3 in WAR). Plus, Ramirez would be more valuable, both to the Marlins and as a free agent, as a power-hitting third baseman, while Reyes is still tabbed as the leadoff shortstop who gets on base frequently (strains of Jeter and A-Rod are blaring in this Yankees fan's head). As for the Mets, they're left to pick up the pieces...which won't be that difficult, as youngster Ruben Tejada is the heir apparent to the shortstop position in New York. And it'll be difficult for Mets fans to miss Reyes for long, since Tejada is another light hitter, in that he won't be smashing balls into the stands frequently, but a .284 batting average and .695 OPS in 96 games is nothing to turn your nose up at. If he had more of an opportunity to strut his stuff, we'd have more of an idea of what he'll be like, so it'll be easier to see how he'll flourish in 2012.
So, with Reyes signed to a new team, we can focus even more energy on worrying about whether or not Albert Pujols will resign with the Cardinals, or if Prince Fielder will switch to the AL. Stay tuned for any more updates as they happen.
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