Jose Reyes

Before the Winter Meetings officially got underway, the Marlins struck the week's first major blow, agreeing to terms with Jose Reyes on a six-year, $106MM contract. Despite the shortstop's injury history, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes likes the signing for Miami, since Reyes "doesn't have to be amazing or play 162 games a year to be worth $17.67MM annually." Here's a round-up of a few more instant reactions to the deal:

• While the Marlins took a risk committing over $100MM to Reyes, he has the potential to turn into a genuine bargain, writes Dave Cameron of Fangraphs.
• Yahoo's Jeff Passan thinks the contract matches up favorably to Carl Crawford's deal, although "the idea of budget-conscious Mets and free-spending Marlins takes a minute to process."
• ESPN.com's Keith Law (Insider link) views the contract as a big risk for Miami, arguing that, given Reyes' injury history, it seems "wildly optimistic" to assume he'll still be a viable shortstop by the end of the deal.
• In another Insider piece, ESPN's Jim Bowden writes that Reyes provides the Marlins with a "much-needed dose of star power." Whereas Law saw the Mets as major winners in the process for avoiding a long-term risk, Bowden considers them the big loser in the deal.
• The Mets have to rebuild their credibility along with their roster after losing Reyes, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
• The Mets are justified in letting Reyes go, but their approach made it look like they intended to finish second in the bidding, writes John Harper of the New York Daily News.
• Adam Rubin of ESPN New York assigns the blame for Reyes' departure from New York on the Wilpons and Bernie Madoff, among others, rather than the player or GM.
• When Reyes and Hanley Ramirez are both healthy and productive, they'll be perfect fits for the style of play preferred by new manager Ozzie Guillen, says Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider link).
• Matthew Cerrone of MetsBlog respects GM Sandy Alderson's approach on Reyes, but is disappointed to see the Mets star snapped up by a division rival.
• Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes a look at what Reyes' signing means for the new top shortstop on the market, Jimmy Rollins.

Earlier today we learned that the Marlins are "putting an all-out press" on Jose Reyes, and they are considering increasing their initial offer from the $75-90MM range. Here's the latest on the free agent shortstop…

• The Marlins have not given Reyes any kind of deadline or ultimatum according to Juan C. Rodriguez of The Sun Sentinel (on Twitter). They are prepared to wait him out beyond the winter meetings if necessary.
• Mets GM Sandy Alderson did touch base with Reyes' representatives today, reports Joel Sherman of The New York Post (all Twitter links). Andy McCullough of The Star Ledger says the team is still waiting for Reyes' side to come back with an offer for them to match, a right they expect to have. The Mets would reportedly offer five years and $80MM, but not a sixth guaranteed year.
• Adam Rubin of ESPN New York points out that if Reyes signs with the Marlins, the Mets would only receive Florida's third round pick as compensation. The Marlins' first round pick is protected, and their second rounder is technically going to the Padres since Heath Bell is a higher ranked free agent than Reyes. The Fish will keep their second rounder with a made-up pick going to San Diego, but an MLB official confirmed that it will be treated the same way as previous years.
• It does not appear that Reyes will be signing with anyone before the winter meeting start on Monday, reports Newsday's David Lennon (on Twitter).