Jose Reyes set to rejoin Mets on Tuesday
The Mets are set to bring Reyes up from the minors
By
Mike Axisa
•
2 min read
is coming back to the big leagues.
Late Monday night, the Mets announced they intend to activate Reyes prior to Tuesday night's game against the Marlins. The club signed Reyes a little more than a week ago, and he's spent the last few days playing tuneup games in the minors.
Of course, the Mets were able to sign Reyes because the Rockies released him two weeks ago, soon after he finished serving his 51-game suspension under the league's new domestic violence policy. Trevor Story has taken over as Colorado's shortstop, and the club didn't want the negative PR, so the Rockies will pay Reyes more than $30 million not to play for them through the end of next season.
Because he was released, the Mets only have to pay Reyes the pro-rated portion of the league minimum. They can bring him back next season at the same salary. Reyes is coming back as a third baseman -- Asdrubal Cabrera is entrenched at short -- to help fill in for the injured David Wright. Wright is out after having neck surgery.
"I feel like what he did was awful, terrible. There's just no other way around it," Wright said earlier this week. "With that being said, in my eyes, he's done what he could do to earn a second chance. If he's going to be given a second chance, I think this is a good place for it. I think he's comfortable here. This is home for him.
"I can't say it enough: What he did is something that is horrible and should never be done," added Wright, the Mets captain. "I hope that he's learned his lesson. In everything he said, it seems like he's acknowledged the great mistake that it was and that he's not going to let it happen again, and I hope that's correct."
Reyes went 6 for 34 (.176) in 11 minor-league games after signing with the Mets. He played third base exclusively, a position he's never played in MLB. The Mets have indicated Reyes will return to his old leadoff spot, pushing Curtis Granderson into a run-producing spot. Adam Rubin of ESPN New York says Travis d'Arnaud will surrender uniform No. 7 to Reyes as well.
The 33-year-old Reyes hit .274/.310/.378 with seven home runs and 24 steals in 116 games for the Blue Jays and Rockies last season. He played with the Mets from 2003-11, during which time he hit .292/.341/.441 (106 OPS+). Reyes was a three-time All-Star and a three-time stolen base champ with the Mets.
