Since we’ve gone two straight days without blogging about the mysterious season-ending shoulder injury suffered by indispensable Mets setup man Duaner Sanchez (the jist: he was in the backseat of a cab at 2 a.m. on Sunday night Miami, and while allegedly looking for a Dominican restaurant, the cab got in an accident), we might as well look at a more current Mets quandary: Who got shafted in yesterday’s Jose Reyes signing?

The All-Star shortstop – who leads the majors in triples and stolen bases, and he’s second in runs scored – was inked to a 4-year, $23.25 million contract. Jeter money, it’s not.

For a point of reference, here’s what a few other Major League shortstops are making, courtesy of USA Today:

Miguel Tejada…..Baltimore…..$11.8…..’06: .328, 19 HR, 77 RBI
Edgar Renteria…..Atlanta…..$9.0…..’06: .315, 11 HR, 45 RBI
Carlos Guillen…..Detroit…..$5.0…..’04: .318, 20 HR, 97 RBI
Julio Lugo…..Dodgers…..$4.95……’06: 308, 12 home runs
Omar Vizquel…..San Fran…..$3.64…..39 years old
Michael Young…..Texas…..$3.07…..All-Star Game MVP

In our assessment, Reyes has elevated himself into the upper echelon of shortstops in the league – he’s probably one of the five best (Jeter, Tejada, Young, and Guillen). Sure, Reyes’ checkered injury history is cause for concern, but assuming he stays healthy for the remainder of this season, that will make two consecutive injury-free years heading into his prime.

Our verdict: The Mets got him on the cheap, especially considering Reyes and David Wright form one of the best SS-3B combos in baseball. How will Reyes feel when Wright signs this summer for $10 million per?

Reyes Cashes In (Amazin’ Avenue)
Reyes Locked Up (Mets Blog)