It’s rare that a club is ever blessed with the dynamic abilities and prowess of a Jose Reyes. When healthy, the Mets shortstop is one of the most exciting leadoff men in the game, and provides a spark that is significant to setting the tone for the rest of the lineup. With his speed, Reyes can easily turn a single into a double with a stolen base—or a triple for that matter—and scored a minimum of 113 runs a season from 2006-08.

So let’s move him to the 3-hole.

In a recent announcement Mets manager Jerry Manuel discussed his intentions of making the rehabilitated Reyes the team’s No. 3 hitter in front of the likes of David Wright and recently required Jason Bay. According to MLB.com, Reyes was quoted as saying, “I’ll do anything to help the team. He’s the boss. If he wants me to bat third, I will.”

Personally, I think it’s a terrible idea. With Reyes at the top of the order the Mets have the possibility of being one of the most potent offensive clubs in the league. He presents an immediate challenge for any opposing pitcher, and when on base changes the pitching strategy towards every hitter who follows him. Removing him from that role would only limit his capabilities and diminish his impact in the game. The only suitable replacements for the leadoff slot would be second-basemen Luis Castillo, or outfielder Angel Pagan. Although Pagan had his best season thus far last year, he cannot be considered to effectively supplement the absence of Reyes at the top given the fact he only had a small sample of at-bats last year. Castillo would be the better option, and notably has the most leadoff experience on the team with 4,067 appearances in the position, but his speed has moderated over the years and would not nearly bear the same influence as Reyes’s.

The move is only being considered because of the injury to Carlos Beltran, who won’t be in the lineup until at least May. It’s a rash compensation for a situation that actually does not need to be compensated for all that much. The addition of Jason Bay in itself is enough to provide an effective solution, as he is the means of protection for David Wright and vice versa. Starting off the game with the likes of Reyes, Castillo, Wright, and Bay is much more intimidating to an opposing team than that of Castillo, Pagan, Reyes, Wright/Bay. In addition, when Beltran eventually returns, only small adjustments would have to be made, in effect keeping the lineup as comfortable and familiar as possible.

A general rule of thumb: when you have the best leadoff hitter in the game, you keep him in the leadoff spot. Manuel would be wise to follow it.