The Rockies will have three options once Jose Reyes' suspension is over
The emergence of Trevor Story means the Rockies have no place for Jose Reyes to play
By
Mike Axisa
•
3 min read
In only 12 days Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes will be eligible to return to the team after completing his suspension under the league's new domestic violence policy. He was given a 51-game ban and forfeited roughly $7 million in salary. Reyes also agreed to donate money to charities dedicating to helping victims of domestic violence.
The suspension stems from an incident in Hawaii over the winter in which Reyes' wife, Katherine, alleged an argument at their hotel turned violent. Charges against Reyes were dropped because his wife did not cooperate with police. MLB placed Reyes on administrative leave in spring training while they completed their investigation.
Reyes has been working on out on his own since November, and this week he reported to Arizona and starting working out at the Rockies' spring training facility, according to the Associated Press.
"It's good to be on the field and put that stuff behind me," he said. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake and will stand here like a man. I just have to try to be a better man, a better husband."
Now that the suspension has been handed down and we know when exactly Reyes will return, the question is now this: What are the Rockies going to do with him? Rookie shortstop Trevor Story has emerged a force, hitting .287/.344/.622 (135 OPS+) with 12 home runs in 38 games. He hit seven homers in his first six games and has still managed a strong .277/.342/.526 batting line in the 33 games since.
Rockies third baseman and franchise cornerstone Nolan Arenado recently told Bob Nightengale of USA Today that while the team will welcome Reyes back, they have their shortstop in Story.
From Nightengale:
"It's a little weird for sure,'' Rockies All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado told USA TODAY Sports. "Hopefully, he does what he needs to get back here, and hopefully if he comes back with us, we can use him in some way to help us win.
"If he comes back with us, we can use him in some way to help us win. But we got our shortstop.''
Reyes, 32, hit .274/.310/.378 (84 OPS+) in 116 games last year, and he hasn't played a position other than shortstop since 2004. He originally broke in as a second baseman in deference to Kaz Matsui with the 2004 Mets, if you remember. The Rockies still owe Reyes roughly $41 million through next season, so the salary obligation is considerable.
The way I see it, the team has three options:
1. Turn him into a utility player. This is tough because, like I said, it's been a long time since Reyes has played somewhere other than shortstop. Can he re-learn second base and learn third base quick enough to be the team's primary backup infielder?
2. Trade him. This, surely, is what the Rockies would like to do. They're going to have to eat money to facilitate a deal, and likely a lot of money. That said, the Rockies are on the hook for that $41 million anyway. If they're able to save even $10 million in a trade and maybe get a prospect back, it's worth it. The White Sox, Angels, and Athletics stand out as possible trade partners.
3. Release him. This is the last resort. The Rockies would still be on the hook for that full $41 million by releasing Reyes, so all this would accomplish is getting him off the roster. Do they want to dump him that badly? Maybe. The team may not want to have anything to do with a player suspended for domestic violence. A straight release seems unlikely, though.
I think there's a chance the Rockies will designate Reyes for assignment once his suspension is up rather than add him to the active roster. They don't have roster space for him anyway, barring injury between now and June 1. To get Reyes on the roster they would need to cut someone else, which isn't ideal.
Designating Reyes for assignment buys the team some time. Ten days, to be exact. It removes him from the roster and gives the team 10 days to find a trade partner or release him. That $41 million is a sunk cost. The Rockies are going to get stuck paying most of it anyway. Rather than try to squeeze Reyes on the roster and absorb any possible bad PR, my guess is they'll look to get rid of him as soon as possible.
