Jose Reyes is now 48 hours away from a potential return to the Mets after the Rockies requested waivers Thursday to grant the shortstop his unconditional release.
The announcement is mostly procedural, as Reyes was designated for assignment last week, a move that gave the Rockies 10 days to either trade or release the four-time All-Star. That period expires Saturday, and if Colorado is unable to deal Reyes before then, he will be available to any team for the prorated portion of the major-league minimum salary, which comes out to roughly $277,000 for the rest of the season.
While the financial risk is low, as the Rockies will be on the hook for the remaining $41 million left on his contract, Reyes brings with him the ugly stain of domestic-abuse allegations, which resulted in a 52-game suspension earlier this season. The charges were dropped when Reyes’ wife, Katherine, refused to cooperate with prosecutors in Hawaii, but the commissioner’s office believed there was enough evidence to punish him.
Balancing the baseball ability of the 33-year-old Reyes with the disturbing allegations is what has spurred the Mets to internally discuss the pros and cons of a reunion with their once-popular, homegrown shortstop. The idea has gained momentum during the past week, as Reyes’ chances of returning went from being characterized by a source as a “long shot” to a more serious candidate. Also, Mets officials believe that Reyes could be welcomed back to Flushing if he is fully committed to atoning for his behavior and willing to help raise awareness for domestic-violence issues.
From an on-field perspective, the Mets like Reyes because his two primary skills are exactly what their roster currently lacks: speed and the ability to get on base, which would give them a more traditional leadoff hitter than Curtis Granderson. Reyes batted .285 with a .322 on-base percentage in 69 games for the Blue Jays last season and stole 16 bases, before he was traded to the last-place Rockies. Stunned by the move and unhappy in Colorado, Reyes slipped to .259 with a .291 OBP over the 47 games after the trade.
Reyes has told people close to him that returning to the Mets is his first choice, and he’d be willing to play third base, if necessary. But the Mets also have discussed using him at second, and moving Neil Walker to third. The Mets have been thrilled with Asdrubal Cabrera’s play at shortstop, so Reyes would seem to be more of an insurance policy at that position.
..... - Newsday