Keep Reyes, Trade Wright

With talk of a potential Jose Reyes trade trending just below Osama and the royal wedding these days, it seems like a good time for Mets Kool-Aid to address the trade issue.

Let me first say this: the Mets should NOT trade Jose Reyes if they think they can re-sign him.

Then, let me say this: if the Mets think they can re-sign Reyes, they SHOULD trade David Wright this season.

In an ideal world, Reyes and Wright, both in their primes, would obviously remain together and lead the Mets' resurgence. But the Mets world is miles away from ideal. In their world massive debt and a billion dollar lawsuit rule the day, which is why trading one of their homegrown stars seems inevitable. Reyes is the name that comes up most often, but if either of them has to go it should be Wright.

Look, I like David Wright. He is the favorite of most Mets fans, from older die-hards to teenage girls. He is a very good baseball player who is rarely injured and always does and says the right thing. He will probably be an all-star and gold glove candidate for many years ahead, and will be even better if he has a great hitter behind him to take some of the pressure off him.

Finding another David Wright will be very tough, but finding another Jose Reyes might be downright impossible. Reyes can do it all - he has hit for as many as 19 home runs, stolen as many as 78 bases, and plays excellent defense. His speed and pension for hitting the ball in the gaps makes Reyes the perfect player for Citi Field, whereas Wright is a pseudo-power hitter who seems somewhat affected by the cavernous stadium and high fences.

And almost as important as Reyes' immense talent is the excitement and energy he brings. The chance to watch Reyes leg out a triple is right up there with Ike's towering homers as reasons to buy an overpriced ticket. While Wright's stoic personality is to be admired, Reyes' fiery attitude is exactly what the Mets need in these tough times.

Here's something else to consider: with Reyes' free agency looming this offseason and reputation for being injury-prone, he might actually bring in LESS of a prospect haul than Wright, who is under a reasonable contract for another year. Yes, Reyes will likely demand $18M or more per season, but with several huge contracts coming off the books even the cash strapped Mets should be able to afford him, especially if they know they won't have to pay Wright the same going forward.

Again, I would love to see Wright and Reyes play together in Flushing for the next decade if it was possible. But if the choice is between re-building the franchise around Reyes or Wright, then Wright has to be the one to go.