Jose Reyes, ex-Met? Not if Mike Pelfrey were making the decision.
Pelfrey who has been with the club longer than any other current Mets pitcher, said yesterday that Reyes is so irreplaceable, if he is traded or not re-signed after the season, his absence would diminish the team.
Then, Reyes went out and proved his worth last night, smacking a three-run triple in the Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Braves at Citi Field. The three-bagger gave him 10 in just over a third of the season. Seven of those have come in his last 12 games at home, dating to May 5.
Reyes is batting .335 on the season with 28 extra-base hits and 19 stolen bases. That’s pretty good evidence for Pelfrey’s point of view.
“I think that it would be tough [for me to see him gone],” Pelfrey told The Post. “And I think it also would be tough for the fans. I think the fans love him. And the fans want to see him. And I want to see him. Obviously because he’s so talented and I think he brings so much to the table.
“So obviously I think if he’s not here later this year or he’s not here next year, I think it’s going to be a huge loss. And that’s a guy that I don’t know if you can replace. Just because he brings so much to the table.
“So I think we wouldn’t be as good a team without him.”
Pelfrey said he realizes Reyes not remaining with the Mets would be a business decision. But the 27-year-old righty, who made his Mets debut in 2006, hopes his teammate stays with the club.
“You understand how the business works and you can’t make a fantasy team,” Pelfrey said. “But he’s definitely a huge part of the team and if he was gone, it’d be a huge loss I think that would definitely be felt.”
As a pitcher who relies heavily on a sinkerball, Pelfrey has great confidence in Reyes’ fielding.
“You want them to hit it to shortstop,” Pelfrey said. “He covers so much ground and he makes plays all the time.”
Pelfrey praised Reyes as a complete player.
“He’s obviously a sparkplug. He’s so talented,” Pelfrey said. “I don’t know if there’s a more exciting player to watch than he is. Just for the fact that he can do so many different things. He’s great defensively at shortstop, has range, has an unbelievable arm, he obviously flies on the basepaths.”