Now is the time to trade Reyes

The Mets look pretty good right now. They are still not a championship caliber team. They are doing the tease they sometimes do, to convince their fans that they have a chance, but I don't buy it.

My solution is the answer to the question that NY sports writers have been asking lately: Yes, it IS time to trade Jose Reyes. For Roy Halliday and Marco Scutaro of the Toronto Blue Jays. It looks like Adam Schein has proposed a Reyes for Halliday trade in the past couple of days, but I had this thought last week. Scutaro is one of those guys that helps teams win, even though he has modest talent. Halliday is exactly what they need, a second ace and a proven winner who deserves a chance to pitch in the post-season. The Mets can offer Toronto a choice of Oliver Perez, Livan Hernandez, or Tim Redding, if they want to replace Halliday in the rotation while waiting for their injured starters to come back.

The point is, and I've had seven years to observe this, Jose Reyes does not, and will never, possess winning baseball instincts. I've played a lot of softball in my life, and I know that you can't teach instinct. Derek Jeter has it; Craig Counsell has it; Jose Reyes doesn't. It's that simple.

The Mets might make the playoffs with their current team. They might choke in the last month like they have the past two years. If they want a real chance to win in the post-season, they need to make this trade or one like it.

If anyone is at fault for the Mets lack of killer instinct, I have to say it's Omar Minaya. He has constructed a very talented team that lacks grit and savvy. It's time to start fixing that problem, Omar. Here's a way to start.

© Judy Kamilhor 2009