Why Giants Won't Trade for Jose Reyes

When the Giants made their way east and visited the Mets in New York, there was a LOT of speculation about Brian Sabean making a run at Jose Reyes, who'll be a free agent after this year.

It makes sense, kind of. Reyes fits what the Giants need -- a leadoff hitter with speed and a bit of power who plays great defense at short -- and getting prospects/dumping payroll is a priority for the Mets.

But it never actually made sense, primarily because Sabean hasn't traded for a pricey, veteran rental in several years. He's unlikely to do so this year, especially coming off a championship and with the Giants needing to trim payroll.

Making it even more unlikely? The current warmth of Miguel Tejada's bat. As Ken Rosenthal writes at Fox Sports, the Giants are "not about to quit on their $6 million investment, only two months into the season."

It's obvious that Tejada was maybe/probably/definitely a mistake. But he was only a one-year mistake, and he can still get warm, just like he did last year about this time.

In fact, he's getting a touch toasty at the moment, hitting .302 over the past two weeks, and .333 over the past week, with four RBI and a stolen base in that span. It ain't MVP numbers, mind you, but it's not "embarrassingly bad production that makes you want to give your paycheck back."

Tejada struggled in May of 2010, but June was pretty respectable, as he posted a .325/.336/.412 line with two homers, 10 RBI and two walks.

Production like that over the next month-and-a-half would almost ensure that Tejada's gig is safe.

Additionally, there's the impending return of Pablo Sandoval.

Once Panda's back in the lineup, Tejada won't have to play every single day. Mike Fontenot and Miggy can platoon -- as it were -- at shortstop, ensuring that both guys can stay fresh for the long haul.

And if there's anything we know about Sabean, it's that he's willing to ride out two barely-warm, veteran bodies rather than overpay for a short-term rental like Reyes.

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