When Marlins president David Samson said Tuesday that Jose Reyes was after every dollar in free agency, it seemed to contradict the shortstop's December complaint that the Mets "didn't want me."



"He said, 'I really want to play in Miami as long as you pay me $1 more than anyone else," Samson said. "'I really want to make the most money I can.'"



But people close to Reyes have insisted that was not the case.



According to sources, Reyes would have strongly considered a somewhat smaller deal from the Mets, both in years and dollars, and was shocked when his longtime team did not make an offer.



Reyes signed a six-year, $106 million deal with Miami, and would have seriously entertained returning to the Mets on a five-year deal, sources say.



Of course, there is no way to prove a hypothetical — and anyway, one Mets insider said that some members of the front office were unwilling to guarantee more than four years.