Ken Davidoff's Baseball Insider

Reyes could’ve been a Ray

At different junctures during the 2011 season, the Rays contemplated buying and selling. Given that their greatest liabilities were shortstop and catcher, it’s not surprising they reached out to the Mets in June and asked about the availability of Jose Reyes.

The Mets told Tampa Bay thanks but no thanks, that they wanted to keep Reyes for the long term and weren’t inclined to trade their ultra-popular leadoff man.

That exchange occurred when Reyes was at his peak, prior to his two visits to the disabled list. The Rays, armed with one of the best farm systems in baseball, were prepared to give up significant prospects to rent Reyes and then recoup draft picks upon his departure this coming winter.

You wonder how that would’ve played out for both sides. Sure, the Mets would’ve faced a mutiny by their fans with a June trade, but we know now that Reyes’ sticking through the season hasn’t quite filled Citi Field in September. And their future would look brighter with those Tampa Bay imports, and of course they could’ve made a run to bring back Reyes.

As for the Rays, would Reyes somehow have managed to stay healthy? Or would that pesky left hamstring have flared, blowing up what would’ve been a blockbuster deal for the American League East paupers?

Just something to contemplate as we wind down the regular season.

More Big Game at the Trop?

As long as we’re discussing the Rays, this coming offseason’s top trade candidate has to be “Big Game James” Shields, the right-hander who has a $7 milllion team option (against a $2 million buyout) for 2012. But to listen to Tampa Bay executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the Rays aren’t anxious at all to send Shields, their best starting pitcher of 2011, anywhere else.

Shields, Friedman said, serves as a role model to the organization’s younger pitchers with his work ethic and training regimen. Furthermore, the Rays don’t feel compelled to yield their tremendous pitching depth, even though rookie Matt Moore displayed Thursday (against the Yankees) that he’s also ready for prime time.

"We can’t wake up and have three or four starters and have to go out to the market to get a fourth and/or fifth starter,” Friedman said. “We’re absolutely doomed if that happens. We can’t be cavalier about the depth that we have right now.”

Phillies’ timing

One scout who has monitored the Phillies recently half-joked, on the condition of anonymity, “They’ve got the Three Horsemen, but after that, I don’t know.”

The “Three Horsemen” would be Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, sure to start the club’s first three playoff games. The concerns after that rest with shortstop Jimmy Rollins, centerfielder Shane Victorino. and lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo, who has been slumping as of late as he hit the 60-game mark.

More Pudge

Ivan Rodriguez turns 40 in November, and he’ll be a free agent coming off the worst season of his storied career. Entering Saturday’s action, the catcher had played in only 41 games and tallied 25 hits to give him 2,842 for his career, well short of the 3,000 mark he desires to reach.

That’s why Pudge said, “You’ll keep seeing me play” when we chatted last week at Citi Field. Some club will surely give Rodriguez a shot as a backup, as the catching market remains weak.

Meet the Captain

Derek Jeter donated a “meet and greet” to the annual Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, which held its annual dinner this past week. Jeter is a longtime supporter of Adele Smithers, who has been involved in alcoholism recovery for most of her life.