The New York Mets love Jose Reyes -- that much is clear. Why the Mets love Reyes is unclear. He's an unskilled defender who entered Friday night hitting .193/.265/.321. Add in his domestic violence suspension last season, and there isn't much to recommend him.

Yet the Mets have nonetheless chosen to play Reyes at shortstop over prospect Amed Rosario and, apparently, have opted to keep Reyes at short while shifting incumbent starter Asdrubal Cabrera to the keystone. 

There's just one problem -- Cabrera would rather be traded than play second base:

Cabrera makes for a decent trade candidate, given he has been a productive hitter the past few seasons when healthy. Of course, he's a below-average fielder at shortstop -- and seemingly someone who doesn't want to move off the position -- so any team acquiring him would have to believe he'll perform better than the 88 OPS+ he has put up this season. Still, he's a free agent at season's end who is due somewhere in the vicinity of $6 million if you factor in a buyout on his club option. Some contender will probably take a shot and see if Cabrera can perform better in a more welcoming environment.

Whether the Mets trade Cabrera (or anyone else), the larger issue is Reyes. He has been by far the worst hitter among Mets regulars, yet he's second on the team in plate appearances. In fact, you can make the case Reyes has been one of the worst players in baseball. According to Baseball-Reference, his 55 OPS+ is the third-lowest for a player with more than 250 plate appearances. His -1.1 wins above replacement, meanwhile, is the worst among the 135 players who qualify.

The Mets, then, are showing more loyalty to arguably the worst player in baseball than they are to just about anyone else in their clubhouse. No wonder Cabrera is upset -- he's better than Reyes, and he knows it.