Per his Twitter account, Jose Reyes has announced his retirement from the game of baseball. Over the last couple of years, Reyes has moved away from the diamond and turned his focus towards his musical interests. He last appeared in the majors with the Mets in 2018.
The 37-year-old hoped to play in 2019, but he didn’t find any prospect worth his taking.
Reyes will go down in franchise history as a controversial figure, one whose talent on the field was never in question. However, his off-the-field behavior changed the minds of many of his former fans.
When he debuted in 2003, Reyes immediately formed a formidable infield tandem with David Wright. The pair led the Mets to a postseason berth in 2006, the first playoff appearance for the duo and the first appearance for the club in six years. Reyes later appeared alongside Wright during his final game in 2018.
After Reyes memorably removed himself from the final game of the 2011 season to preserve his .337 batting average, the shortstop headed south. He signed a six-year, $106 million dollar pact with the Miami Marlins as part of their offseason spending spree. His 2011 batting title stands as the only batting title in club history.
Unfortunately for both the club and Jose, the deal fared poorly. Reyes was beset by injuries, leading to trades to Toronto and Colorado.
While with the Rockies, Reyes was charged with domestic violence against his wife, a charge that suspended him for 51 games and prompting his release from Colorado.
The Mets, needing infield help midway through the 2016 campaign, picked up their former star. This move was met with a ton of controversy; many fans asserted a domestic abuser had no place on the Mets.
In terms of on-the-field production, Reyes was adequate in 2016, posting a 107 OPS+ over 255 at-bats and participating in one of the more dramatic comebacks in the last decade.
New York brought him back for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, but with his production tanking and top prospect Amed Rosario waiting in the wings, the Mets opted not to resign him.
The four-time All-Star quickly solidified himself as one of the top middle infielders of his era, accumulating a .282/.334/.433 stat-line over his twelve seasons with New York and finishing top-10 in club history in WAR, hits, runs, plate appearances, and total bases.
On the basepaths, Reyes was a machine, routinely stealing off pitchers with aplomb and providing an unprecedented spark to the Mets’ offense. His 78 stolen bases in 2007 set a club record, easily surpassing Roger Cedeno‘s previous mark of 66 back in 1999.
His production, combined with his likable persona on the field, quickly made him a fan favorite during his first go-around with the team. But his legacy with the Mets will always be complicated by his horrific actions against his wife.
