"Jose Reyes' future with the Mets is still anything but certain, but they went through the formality of offering him arbitration before last night's deadline.

The move assures the Mets of getting two draft picks if Reyes departs as a Type-A free agent this offseason.

Reyes, who finished 11th in the NL MVP voting on Tuesday after a season in which he showed his dominance on the field, as well as his frailty, already has received a preliminary offer from the Marlins.

Though they would rather not experience life without Reyes, his exit would at least help in their rebuilding process under general manager Sandy Alderson."