Update (2:22 p.m. ET): The N.Y. Mets have officially announced the signing of Jose Reyes
It’s full circle for Jose Reyes.
On Saturday, the New York Mets signed the 33-year-old shortstop, who originally started his career with the club after signing as a teenager from the Dominican Republic in 1999. In his first stint, he spent 12 years with the team and won the National League batting title with the Mets in 2011, hitting .337 and made all of his four All-Star appearances. The move comes out of recent controversial circumstances by Reyes as he was arrested on Oct. 31 after a physical altercation with his wife at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea, Hawaii.
We have signed José Reyes to a minor league contract. He will report to the @BKCyclones. #Mets pic.twitter.com/ZlISifogm4
— New York Mets (@Mets) June 25, 2016
Major League Baseball suspended Reyes without pay for his actions through May 31, resulting in him forfeiting $6.25 million. He addressed his actions in a statement in May.
“I want to apologize for everything that has happened,” Reyes stated. “I am sorry to the Rockies organization, my teammates, all the fans and most of all my family. I am happy to put this all in the past and get back to doing what I love most, playing baseball. My wife Katherine has remained by my side throughout everything and for that I will be forever grateful.”
After his suspension, Reyes appeared in nine games for the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque, hitting .303 with 2 home runs, 2 RBIs and 2 SBs. With the emergence of current starting shortstop, Trevor Story, the Rockies tried to trade Reyes. The Dominican player has declined in the past several seasons since leaving the Mets and combined with his recent issues, there wasn’t any interest. Yet, once the team decided to designate him for assignment, with the Rockies footing the bill for the remaining $39 million of his contract, the Mets became interested due to some recent personnel issues.
“At the end of the day, we felt that it was best that we part ways -- best for the direction of the organization, best for what was going on in the clubhouse and best for Jose,” Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said last week.
With Mets star third baseman David Wright out indefinitely with a neck injury, the team has struggled offensively and has lacked speed on the bases. ESPN reports that Reyes won’t take Asdrubal Cabrera’s starting job as shortstop, but will back him up and fill in at second and third base when needed. Team manager Terry Collins, who managed Reyes in 2011, remembers the player’s time at the club fondly.
“One of the things that probably caught my imagination was his joy of playing in New York. He loved it. That’s why he moved there. He loved being there. He loved playing in New York. It’s a tough place, because you’re going to have some bad times and some bad days. But he always had a smile. And when he didn’t, something was wrong, and you knew it. And that was the easiest kind of way to judge that it’s time for a day off.
“In my time around him, he was a joy to be around.”