UPDATE: IT’S OFFICIAL!
Statement from Jose Reyes:
As I have expressed in the past, I deeply regret the incident that occurred and remain remorseful and apologetic to my family. I have completed the counseling required by MLB, have been an 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.
Statement from Sandy Alderson:
We made the decision to offer a contract to José after extreme consideration and discussion with José, his representatives, major-league baseball and various departments of the Mets. We are convinced that José 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.
Jose Reyes will report to the Brooklyn Cyclones on Sunday as he begins working his way back to the big league team. It shouldn’t be more than two weeks tops.
Original Report
In what has been the worst kept secret in baseball, the New York Mets are reportedly set to sign Jose Reyes shortly after he becomes a free agent at 1:00 PM this afternoon.
Reyes, 33, will return to the organization that signed him as a 16-year old kid out of the Dominican Republic where he caught the eye of Mets scouts and Scouting Director Omar Minaya who recommended him to GM Steve Phillips. After making his big league debut three years later in 2003, Reyes batted .307 as the youngest player in the major leagues and quickly became one of the most exciting players in the game.
Known for his enthusiastic love of the game and his blazing speed, Reyes would carve out a brilliant nine year career with the Mets as a catalyst at the top of the order, while setting many franchise records along the way. During his time with the Mets he led the majors in triples four times, and stolen bases three times including a career high 78 swipes in 2007.
Reyes became the only Met ever to win a batting title when he hit .337 in 2011, his final season with the organization.
With the Mets in dire straits financially, Reyes walked away without an offer and signed a six-year, $106 million contract with the Miami Marlins.
Reyes never enjoyed the prosperity he had with the Mets and it was no secret he was unhappy away from New York where he continued to live and always referred to as his home.
Unfortunately, Reyes was arrested last Oct. 31 after he allegedly grabbed his wife Katherine by the throat and pushed her into a sliding-glass door in their hotel room while vacationing in Hawaii.
And while a judge ordered the charges dropped due to a lack of cooperation by his wife, Major League Baseball suspended him without pay for violating its new domestic abuse policy. Reyes has since apologized and released the following statement last month:
“I want to apologize for everything that has happened. 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.”
The Rockies are responsible for the remaining $39 million owed to Reyes, and the Mets will only be financially responsible for approximately $250,000.
After a week or two in Triple-A to get back into game shape, Reyes is expected to fill a utility role while giving the the team some sorely needed speed. In addition to playing familiar positions at second base and shortstop, he is expected to also play some third base and even outfield according to manager Terry Collins.
“We took Matt Reynolds and put him out there with no experience at all,” Collins said about playing Reynolds in left field. “This guy is as good an athlete as certainly Matt is. He’s got the arm. He’s got the foot speed for it. These are just things we’re tossing around.”
“He was a great player. He did a lot of things. He was a good hitter, he could fly, he’s got a great arm, he played very good shortstop. He brought a lot to the party,” Collins added.
“One of the things that probably caught my imagination was his joy of playing in New York. He loved it. …We’re going to have some good and bad days, and he always had a smile.”
Reyes should get plenty of playing time for the Mets where he will reprise his customary role as the Mets leadoff man.
As I wrote yesterday, I’m a huge fan of Jose Reyes, and while I admit his skills are now diminished, he is still a huge upgrade over anyone on our bench.
Reyes gives the team the speed it lacks and can still hit and wreak havoc on the bases. His high energy and enthusiasm could be just the tonic this team needs to wake up a stagnant offense, and his positive attitude and hustle has always been infectious.
I don’t take lightly the gravity of the domestic violence issue, and I found his actions to be deplorable. But I believe he’s contrite, he accepted and served his punishment, and if his wife can forgive him and stand by his side, so should we.
I look forward to his first game back at Citi Field where I expect him to get a resounding ovation from the fans he gave so many thrills to during his Mets career. Welcome back, Jose!
