Signing Jose Reyes…For 2014

Re-signing Jose Reyes should be a priority for the Mets, but not for the reasons most fans think. As much as fans believe that re-signing Reyes would be to field a competent team in 2012, they’re wrong. Yes, the 2012 Mets would be significantly better with Reyes, but in reality, Jose Reyes‘ true value for the Mets would be in 2014.

Before you conclude that this article is suggesting the Mets should punt two seasons, one must instead consider three unique aspects about 2014 that make it such an important season for the Mets.

The first item is knowing what kind of players Ike Davis and Jonathon Niese are. Over the next two seasons, both Davis and Niese will mature–hopefully into thirty-plus homerun hitting and top-of-the-rotation starter, respectively, all fans hope they will evolve into. By 2014, both players will be 27 years-old, which is generally considered the age where players begin their prime. If all goes well, the two most promising Mets youngsters will have successfully met their goals. It also would hurt to know if the likes of Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Josh Thole, Bobby Parnell, Jenrry Mejia, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Reese Havens have panned out too.

The second item is the Mets trio of top (and currently healthy) pitching prospects should all be Major League ready. Yes, that means Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, and Jeurys Familia could very well consume spots three through five in the 2014 rotation. Granted, it would be a little unrealistic to think that Wheeler, Harvey, and Familia will pan out and be successful in their first full-season in the show, but then again, if you don’t have faith in your top prospects, what else are you supposed to look to the future for?

The final, and arguably most integral item is that both Johan Santana and Jason Bay‘s contract will finally be up. The two players will have made $41.5 million combined in 2013, and God knows how much production will actually come from that. Assuming the only big contracts left on the payroll will be Jose Reyes and David Wright, the Mets will be oozing with cash to properly surround Ike Davis, Jon Niese, Jose Reyes, David Wright, and their now Major League ready pitching prospects.

So again, by no means should the Mets “punt” both 2012 and 2013, but don’t fool yourselves–partial re-building takes time, and 2014 will be the Mets best chance at start a homegrown dynasty (and hopefully with Jose Reyes).