With just over $9 million left on his contract, a contender would likely be willing to part with at least a top-50-or-so pitching prospect or a top-100 hitting prospect to rent Reyes for the remainder of the season. Reyes' trade value won't rise as the season moves along, but it can certainly decline, either because of an injury or just because two fewer months of control means a few fewer wins going to the contender. While acting now will send a less-than-ideal message to the fanbase, if the Mets sell the move correctly they should still be able to sell tickets, and sell a lot more in the future if the prospect(s) they acquire work(s) out.