Tejada's big year minimizes effect of Reyes' departure on Mets

The Miami Marlins expected shortstop Jose Reyes to become their offensive engine when they signed him to a six-year, $106 million contract last winter. The New York Mets expected Reyes's replacement, Ruben Tejada, to help them move on from Reyes. But the Mets never expected Tejada to become an engine of their own, batting atop their lineup and ranking near the top of the team leaderboard in hitting. With a walk and a hit in his first two plate appearances Wednesday, Tejada was the lone bright spot in the Mets' 13-0 loss to Reyes' Marlins at Citi Field. The hit temporarily gave Tejada the highest batting average on the team, before David Wright singled in his third and fourth at-bats to reclaim the lead. Ideally, Mets manager Terry Collins sees Tejada as a two-hole hitter, capable of moving runners around the bases and putting the ball in play at will. The Mets do not expect Tejada to provide much power or speed but hope that he can reach double-digit home run and s...