A reunion that didn't seem possible as recently as eight months ago is now official. According to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin, veteran shortstop Jose Reyes is returning to the New York Mets on a minor-league contract, though it's fully expected he'll join the major league team soon.
Reyes will reportedly suit up for the Brooklyn Cyclones on Saturday, officially beginning his journey back to Citi Field.
The signing brings Reyes' tumultuous career full circle after four-plus years of uncertainty that were further complicated by a rapid physical decline and an arrest last October in Hawaii for an alleged domestic assault.
Reyes, 33, seemingly put the Mets behind him when he inked a massive six-year, $106M free-agent contract with the Miami Marlins following the 2011 season. He's since been included in two blockbuster trades, first to the Blue Jays following the 2012 season, and then to the Rockies in the Troy Tulowitzki trade last July.
Colorado is where it appeared Reyes would flounder until his contract expired following the 2017 season. That all changed though when Reyes was arrested for allegedly grabbing his wife and shoving her into a sliding glass door at a hotel in Maui last Halloween.
Reyes had been set to stand trial in Maui on April 4, but the charges were eventually dropped when Reyes' wife refused to cooperate. Prior to that, the Rockies had placed Reyes on paid leave until his legal matters were sorted out and the commissioner's office could decide on a punishment. He was ultimately given a 52-game suspension, which expired on May 31. Two weeks later, the Rockies decided to part ways with Reyes and eat the remaining $41M on his contract, opening the door for his return to New York.
"As I have expressed in the past, I deeply regret the incident that occurred and remain remorseful and apologetic to my family," Reyes said in a statement on Saturday. "I have completed the counseling required by MLB, have been in ongoing therapy, and will continue with counseling going forward. I appreciate the Mets organization for believing in me and providing the opportunity to come back home to New York."
General manager Sandy Alderson also released the following statement.
"We made the decision to offer a contract to Jose after extensive consideration and discussion with Jose, his representatives, Major League Baseball and various departments at the Mets. We are convinced that Jose has accepted responsibility for his actions and their consequences and have confirmed he is taking steps beyond those prescribed by MLB, including ongoing counseling. Accordingly, we believe he deserves a second chance to return to our organization."
The Mets will first send Reyes to the minor leagues to work off rust and get some at-bats. After that though they'll be anxious to give him an opportunity. After all, you don't stick your neck out to make this signing unless you're dead set on giving him a real chance. The Mets figure to look at Reyes as a third base option with David Wright out injured, or possibly as a super-utility player who moves all over the infield.
Whether Reyes proves to be any kind of on-field upgrade remains to be seen. Overall, he hit .274/.310/.378 in 116 games between Toronto and Colorado last season. He stole 24 bases too, which might indicate there's some juice left his legs. But it's difficult to imagine there being enough to make a notable impact.
With that in mind, this signing still makes sense from a baseball standpoint as the Mets are only taking a low-risk gamble. Reyes would only make the prorated major league minimum for as long as he's on the roster. In the bigger picture though, there was already backlash building just based on reports this reunion might happen.
The Mets obviously believe the rewards far outweigh any risks or backlash. Now we wait to see if they're proven correct.
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