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Something Brewing With Alex Rios?

Written by Mike Mariano | 07 August 2009

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, a team has claimed Alex Rios off waivers.  Based on the size of his contract (5 years, $60 million), it can be assumed that a big market team made the claim.  Now this doesn't necessarily mean the Mets are involved, but looking around at the other big market teams there doesn't seem to be a real fit.  In fact, Olney speculates that the two teams that could have made the claim are the Giants and Mets. The Jays now have to decide whether to keep Rios on waivers.  If they pull him off waivers he will remian in Toronto and is not eligible to be traded this season.  But if they keep him on waivers the team that made the trade gets him (and his big contract) for nothing.  They can also work out a trade with the claiming team, but given the size of his contract I think that's unlikely.  Obviously its all speculation at this point, but if the Mets were to acquire Rios I would be a very happy person.  He has struggled at times this season, but he has the potential to be a legitimate superstar.  Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog likens him to a young Carlos Beltran, and I feel like this is a reasonable comparison.  Now I can't say that Rios will blossom into a player of Beltran's caliber, but the potential does exist.  And if the Mets do in fact claim Rios, I think the writing might be on the wall for Carlos Beltran.  I wouldn't be shocked if the Mets shop Beltran in the offseason, even if this Rios situation proves to be nothing.  One things for certain, the next 24 hours will be very interesting.  Stay tuned!

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