Reyes doesn't need Boras

'No chance."

That's what Jose Reyes said Saturday when asked about the possibility of switching to Scott Boras. With so much speculation swirling around the pending free-agent shortstop, Reyes wasted little time bottling up the Boras hysteria and left himself no room for waffling.

Yes, he did speak with Boras on the telephone, and he also talked with his representatives earlier this season. "He's always tried to get me, since the minor leagues," Reyes said.

And Boras broke no rules in pursuing Reyes this time. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had, considering that Boras has done the same thing with a number of pending free agents.

He got Barry Zito a seven-year, $126-million payday after getting him to dump Arn Tellem. Last winter, Boras got an identical contract for Jayson Werth, who ditched Jeff Borris on the eve of free agency.

In a move that hit a little closer to home, Boras stole Rafael Soriano from Peter Greenberg -- Reyes' agent -- before netting him a three-year, $35-million deal with the Yankees.

Everyone knows Boras, and for the players who hire him, there's no arguing with the results. Which is why Reyes listened to Boras' pitch, but he said he declined to go any further when Boras tried to meet with him in Denver when the Mets visited the Rockies last month.

"There's no doubt he's one of the best at what he does," Reyes said. "But I'm happy with the guys that I have. I feel comfortable with Peter. I'm going to stay with them no matter what happens."

Those words certainly are a relief to Greenberg, and Reyes' loyalty says a lot about himself, too. One of Greenberg's associates, Chris Leible, is the godfather of two of Reyes' kids, so the connection here goes well beyond the usual agent-client relationship.

It's also safe to say that Reyes' agents weren't stunned or outraged to hear that others have courted their client. This is a cutthroat side to the industry, and the player isn't the only one looking to cash in. If Reyes is offered what Fred Wilpon dubbed "Carl Crawford money," that's $142 million -- with 5 percent, or $7.1 million, handed over to the agent.

That's worth mentioning here because this is a business, plain and simple. Quaint notions such as "hometown discount" don't apply when a player of Reyes' caliber -- a player at the very peak of his value -- will be looking to parlay this walk year into what should be the most lucrative contract of his career.

Would the hiring of Boras have amounted to a money grab and severely hurt the Mets' chances of re-signing Reyes? Most definitely. Boras is not in the business of doing favors, and he lets the market determine what's best for his client. It's a successful formula that has served him well, but the Boras Way is not for everyone.

Passing on Boras, however, does not mean Reyes will let his feelings for the Mets cloud his judgment when it comes to a new contract. And Greenberg is fully capable of getting Reyes more money than he ever imagined as a 16-year-old who signed for $20,000 back in 2000.

Greenberg negotiated the $137.5-million contract for Johan Santana that got him traded from the Twins to the Mets in 2008. But the agent also was criticized in 2006 for the perception that he shortchanged Reyes with the four-year, $23.25-million deal he signed back then.

With this season's $11-million option, that raises the value to five years and $34.25 million, and Reyes now is hitting the free-agent market at 28, in the prime of his career. It's still less than David Wright's six-year, $55-million deal -- which was signed three days after Reyes' contract -- but whom would you rather be right now?

Even without one of Boras' famous binders, Reyes is influencing people on his own, and maybe even changing minds. Last month, principal owner Wilpon famously told New Yorker magazine that Reyes "won't get" Crawford money. But when asked Saturday about his shortstop's recent play, Wilpon was much more complimentary.

"Outstanding," he said. "In every part of the game."

Hey, it's a start. But how this whole saga ends is anyone's guess, aside from one indisputable fact: Reyes is going to get paid -- big -- and he knows he doesn't need Boras for that.