The Colorado Rockies Can Flip Jose Reyes This Offseason

Jul 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop J. Reyes (7) in the field against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies got a shortstop back in their mega-trade on Monday night, and they can let him play out the year before flipping him in the winter for something better.

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There’s been speculation after the Colorado Rockies traded Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays in a six-player deal on Monday night that the Rox would turn around and flip newly-acquired shortstop Jose Reyes to somebody else (the New York Mets?) so the club won’t have to pay him the $48 million he’s owed through 2017.

That’s certainly possible, and anything can happen (if you’re crazy enough to trade Tulo like that, you’re capable of coming up with a lot of trade scenarios — like getting Carlos Gonzalez on the trading block, too).

That can all happen, maybe, sure, why not, but let’s instead focus on something far more mundane, but smart: let Jose Reyes play out the rest of the year in Denver as the Rockies’ starting shortstop. It’ll allow you to buy a little bit of time with Trevor Story — who’s tearing it up in AAA Albuquerque right now — while also figuring out what you may or may not have in Cristhian Adames if and when you decide to call him up to the big leagues, too.

We’ve written about Adames specifically (and by extension, Story) before, and it’s worth noting that both of those guys now stand to get some pretty serious shots at the shortstop gig, whether it comes at the end of 2015, or sometime during 2016. Now, with Tulo cleared out of the way, their time is fast approaching.

As for Reyes, he’s a decent player (he’s slashing .285/.322/.385 this year), and he’s owed less than half of what the Rockies would’ve owed Tulo (about $48 million, if you take his opt-out year in 2017 rather than another season). He’s cheaper than Tulo, the Rockies are going to save roughly $52 million on him, and oh yeah, entering 2016 he becomes a valuable controllable commodity for another team looking for a shortstop during the Hot Stove meetings this winter.

If Reyes can play about three months of decent ball for the Rockies, and if Bridich and company can see the future in Story and/or Adames, I think it’s not too far out of the realm of possibilities to trade Jose Reyes to somebody like the San Diego Padres in November or December (they still need a shortstop!!) and get back a pitcher in return.

We’ll cross that trade bridge when we come to it, but the main point is this: the Rockies shouldn’t focus on flipping Reyes in the next three days in another trade.

If a team blows them out of the water with an offer, or if Reyes goes somewhere (again, New York?) in a package with, say, Carlos Gonzalez, then maybe you listen in on that deal.

But barring something truly exceptional, the Rockies have time to be patient with their shortstop options. Let Reyes play out the year; he’s more than solid enough as a veteran (and no, he’s no Tulo, but my goodness, literally no one in the world is like Tulo).

Reyes’ presence merely buys time for Story and Adames. And by 2016, Reyes will likely be a forgotten piece, shipped off to the next locale while the Rockies enter a very exciting youth movement.

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