

on December 05, 2011 at 10:00 AM, updated December 05, 2011 at 11:18 PM
jose-reyes-new-york-mets-1205.jpg.JPGJose Reyes agreed Sunday to a six-year contract with the Miami Marlins.

The Star-Ledger's Andy McCullough called the departure of Jose Reyes a "fait accompli" for the Mets, and it's hard to disagree with that assessment. Just ask yourself this question: If you were Reyes, what reasons were there to re-sign with the Mets?

There really are none.

The Mets actually overachieved this past season. With a pieced together pitching staff, a sub-par bullpen, a bevy of injuries, and the reality of having to unload Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez at the trade deadline, manager Terry Collins did a great job.

The Mets maxed out. And they won 77 games and finished 25 games behind the Phillies in the National League East and 13 games behind the Cardinals in the NL Wild Card.

Add to that, the Mets have been pretty open about their financial situation — not that they really have a choice. But general manager Sandy Alderson has been pretty honest about the team's strategy moving forward, and there are restraints. Serious restraints.

So, even as Alderson said the Mets wanted to bring Reyes back, it rang hollow. Not that Alderson was lying, but it was going to take two willing parties to make a deal happen.

At 28, Reyes knows this is his last, best chance at two things. One would be guaranteed money and years. The other would be a legitimate chance to win during this contract.

Maybe the Marlins aren't a lock in the winning department, but they are showing commitment the Mets cannot make. Already the Marlins have signed closer Heath Bell and Reyes. They are reportedly going to make a bid to sign Albert Pujols. In addition to six years and $106 million, the Marlins were able to show Reyes they're trying.

The Mets could not make any such promise. Not with a straight-face, anyway. Any attempt the Mets make now to compete in 2012 will be based on an all-out, small-market strategy of finding the right mix of sleepers and kids. It's a long shot, at best.

Reyes was never coming back to the Mets. If you were around the team at all this season, even as Reyes said he loved the organization, the city, etc., all you had to do was take a look at the whole picture (painted above) to know it wasn't going to happen. Why did the Mets hold on to Reyes beyond the trade deadline? It was nothing more than a sales pitch to fans that they weren't going to give him up without a fight.

It was a fight they could not win.

So what direction do they go now? It's a silly question. The Mets at this point can almost be ignored as a Major League team. That doesn't mean if you're a fan of the club that you ignore them. It means you embrace the reality of the situation. The Mets are now building from the ground up on a limited budget in the same way franchises like the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays had to build from the ground up.

It can be done. Just not overnight.

Jeff Bradley:;

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