Jose Reyes was an All Star-caliber player for many years, but that time is passed. While he might still be capable of being a quality player, he has not produced close to expectations.
So far in 2017, Reyes is batting .104/.189/.134 with two doubles and one stolen base in 19 games. If he wasn’t Jose Reyes, he would have either been sent down to Triple-A or released outright for his horrible performance. But, because he is who he is, he will be sticking around for at least a while longer. Terry Collins‘ job is to make sure the team wins, and that can with Reyes on the 25-man roster, but not in the way he is using him now.
The first reaction would be to bench him. With Wilmer Flores and David Wright on the disabled list, the Mets have T.J. Rivera as the next best third base option who might actually be a better player right now than Reyes. However, benching a starter isn’t always the best option as some guys need consistent at-bats to get out of a funk. I propose something that has been done a few times by TC over the past couple seasons, but this time would make the most sense.
Bat Jose Reyes ninth. Yes, behind the pitcher. While he would be batting as low in the order as possible, I would call him a second leadoff hitter. He would be pitched to and get more fastballs having leadoff hitter Michael Conforto protecting him, which could help him get out of his slump. If he continues to underperform, though, he would be batting 9th and would get less at-bats, thus hurting the Mets less than if he were batting 6th or 7th as he has been.
He also profiles as a typical nine-hitter. A good example of an American League team with a typical nine-hitter would be the Detroit Tigers who hit Jose Iglesias ninth. Since 2015, he has hit .276/.324/.357 and is capable of swiping at least 10 bases. The Tigers then have Ian Kinsler leading off, a more powerful hitter. This makes sure that Kinsler gets more at-bats while Iglesias is still in a position to set the table.
For the Mets, this would get Conforto more at-bats while giving Reyes the opportunity to set the table for him. If Reyes were to get on base, he of course would be a stolen base threat and while the pitcher is concerned about him swiping a bag, Conforto might get a better pitch to hit. Of course this all depends on Reyes hitting better than he has been, but his batting ninth in front of Conforto could get him better pitches that help him get out of this funk.
Eventually, if Reyes can hit consistently, he could return to the top of the Mets lineup. For now, though, the Mets should be doing whatever they can to help him get out of his slump while putting a slightly higher priority on winning baseball games. If that’s benching him, sure, do it. Play T.J. Rivera at third base every day I’m sure he would play well. However, if Reyes needs consistent at-bats, he should be batting ninth.
