UPDATE: MAY 14
After initial reports that Colorado Rockies and ex-Met shortstop Jose Reyes would be handed down a 60-game suspension, Major League Baseball announced on Friday that Reyes would be suspended until May 31st, which would amount to the first 51 games of the season.
Reyes, 32, agreed to the punishment and will serve the remaining games unpaid. Since the suspension is retroactive to his paid suspension since February 23rd, Reyes will will be docked approximately $7.09 million of his $22 million he’s due to make this season.
Reyes released a statement Friday when the suspension was announced:
“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 the most, playing baseball. My wife Katherine has remained by my side throughout everything and for that I will be forever grateful.”
Reyes can begin a minor league rehab assignment on June 1st, but according to reports the Rockies may look to trade Reyes, especially since rookie Trevor Story has stepped up in his absence and has taken the opportunity and ran with it. Before Saturday’s game, Story was hitting .275/.338/.613 with 11 home runs and 28 runs batted in. Story leads MLB rookies in home runs, runs batted in, triples, and walks.
Along with the suspension, Reyes has agreed to donate $100,000 toward the prevention and treatment of domestic violence. Commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement in response to the accepted punishment by Reyes.
“Mr. Reyes cooperated fully with my office’s investigation,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Friday in a statement. “Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Reyes violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will expire on May 31st. I am encouraged by Mr. Reyes’ commitment to the treatment provisions of the Policy in order to ensure that such an incident does not occur in the future.”
ORIGINAL POST: MAY 13
Sports Illustrated confirms that Colorado Rockies’ shortstop Jose Reyes has been dealt a 60-game suspension for a domestic-violence incident that took place last October. It is retroactive to Feb. 23 and runs through May 31, making him eligible to begin a minor league rehab on June 1.
Reyes, 32, has been on paid administrative leave since the start of spring training, and has missed all of the Rockies 34 games this season.
Reyes was arrested on October 31 in Maui, Hawaii, after he reportedly beat and shoved his wife, Katherine Ramirez, in their hotel room. Reyes was not charged due to his wife’s lack of cooperation in the case.
If in fact Reyes is dealt a 60-game suspension, he would only miss an additional 26 games, however Reyes would have to repay any money he received during his paid leave from the team. His salary for the 2016 season is $22 million.
Reyes along with three pitching prospects were traded before last years deadline by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Rockies for fellow shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and RHP Latroy Hawkins.
Reyes played in 47 games for the Rockies, slashing .259/.291/.368, with three home runs and 19 runs batted in.
Reyes was a beloved Met who was signed by the orange and blue as an amateur free agent in 1999. Reyes made his debut with the Mets in 2003, and played nine seasons with them, his last in 2011 when he won the National League batting title, hitting .337.
Reyes brought flair and excitement to the field, flashing his signature smile and drawing “oohs” and “aahs” as he laced a ball into the gap, as fans watched him race around the bases like a thoroughbred.
According to Buster Olney, teams have shown interest in trading for the switch-hitting shortstop, and surely the Rockies would listen. He’s under contract through 2017, and has a team option for 2018 at $22 million, or a buyout for $4 million.
With rookie shortstop Trevor Story now a stable presence on the team and a front-runner for N.L. Rookie of the Year, Reyes may very well find himself traded by the time his suspension concludes.
