The Reyes Conspiracy

Alex Rodriguez has played baseball in New York for eight years. His capacity for deluding himself is great. But he has to know what message he's sending by issuing this quote:

“I can’t remember a more exciting series against the Mets coming up just because they’ve been playing so extremely well,” Rodriguez said before the game. “I mean they’ve been playing at a really high level. They have the world’s greatest player right now playing shortstop over there, and most exciting. I turn the TV on every time I get a chance to watch him.”

Now that's how you shank Derek Jeter. Yankees GM Brian Cashman has loudly denied that the club will bring Jose Reyes to the Bronx. It's also a dismissive message to send to backup SS Eduardo Nunez, who went 4-for-4 yesterday and has been a welcome relief for the Yanks after Jeter went on the DL. (And who's already turning into a solid defensive shortstop after some rookie errors.) Cashman quickly contradicted A-Rod on Reyes. Joe Girardi has given Nunez a vote of confidence even after Derek Jeter is healthy enough to play everyday shortstop. 

Jeter's decline is a conundrum for the Yankees. But you don't flirt with replacing him like that -- not while he's trying to get back on the team, certainly not while he's on the cusp of his 3000th hit, and definitely not while he'll be your teammate for two more seasons.

Comments

[Rob]

So because Yankees fans have watched Jeter's terrible defense for years they feel Nunez's terrible defense is OK?

[Attackerman]

It's not terrible. His first couple replacement games sucked. Then he improved to become an average rookie shortstop. Is he Jose Reyes? Obviously not.

OK, maybe you have a point.

[fuster]

Dear Spencer,

Cashman denied that the Yankees are going to make a trade with the Mets for Reyes before the deadline of July 30.

After the season, when Reyes is a free agent, and Jeter has gotten his 3,000 hits amid another season when he's likely continued as a sub-par shortstop and a lead-off hitter not taking enough pitches while not getting on base often enough or providing any extra-base hits,.... that might be different.

Jeter has been, in the past, a better player than Reyes and in 1999 had a year better than any year that Reyes has ever had or may ever have, but it hasn't been 1999 for quite a while.

Jeter would look just fine batting 8th, ahead of Gardner with Reyes on deck.

[Alex]

I find it hard to take A-Rod's comments here as a real slight to his teammates. If he's making these comments to encourage the team to acquire Reyes then fine, but even Jeter would have admit that Reyes is playing like he's the best in the game.

The quote just sounds like one ballplayer's appreciation of another's mastery of the craft.

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