The New York Mets provided Jose Reyes with the second chance he needed to help revive his career. He performed better than anyone could have hoped and now Reyes never wants to leave again.
Reyes originally signed with the Mets as an international free agent at the young age of 16. After leaving the Mets for Miami in 2011, he still kept his home on Long Island, never being able to fully detach himself from the place where he was given his first chance as a major league ballplayer.
The Mets hold a club option on Reyes for 2017, it is well believed that they will exercise it to keep Jose in Queens for another season.
“I’d love to be back,” Reyes said. “I love the feeling here. We’ll see what happens, but I want to be here, for sure.” (NY Post)
Jose had a nice comeback year for the Mets, providing a .267/.326/.443 batting line to go along with eight homers and 24 RBI. Reyes helped to produce 45 runs and swiped nine bases in the 60 games he played in 2016.
Although the ultimate goal for the Mets fell short this season, Reyes could not have been more proud of a team that fought through so much adversity just to get back to the postseason.
“I’m very proud of this team,” Reyes said. “Coming into this year, I didn’t think I’d be in this situation. I’m blessed.”
Reyes was the catalyst yet again for a New York Mets team. Providing the spark atop the order that they severely missed since he left. The Mets could not have asked for anymore from him, he not only provided an offensive spark but also was able to handle multiple infield positions without issue.
Another Mets player that many hope will still be playing in Queens next season is Yoenis Cepspedes. Reyes was asked about possibly trying to recruit him to stay in New York.
“I hope Cespedes comes back, but it’s too soon to say,” Reyes said. “I don’t even know if I’m going to be here. I’d love to be back and finish my career here. That was fun
At this point of his career, it would be rewarding for the Mets and Reyes to see him finish out his days on the field in the same place it started. He has shown his ability to still be more like the player he once was than the washed up veteran many thought he had become.
