"For weeks, it has seemed likely the Mets were going to retain Jose Reyes only if he fell in their laps. Maybe they had a chance if other teams were scared off by the shortstop's hamstring problems, but the Marlins have shattered that notion already by putting a full-court press on Reyes.

Or at least it appears that way. They spoke to him by phone just after midnight last Thursday, the minute free agency opened for business, and they're reportedly meeting with him Wednesday in Miami.

With their new, retractable-roof stadium opening next season, the Marlins want to make a splash, and one major league executive speculated Tuesday that the ballclub is "trying to cultivate the Latino market" in Miami by hiring manager Ozzie Guillen and now pursuing Reyes to pair with Hanley Ramirez on the left side of the infield."