Posted on June 16, 2016 by Bryan Zarpentine
Image via nydailynews.com
After Jose Reyes was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday, hope grew in a large contingent of Mets’ fans that the team may be open to bringing back their former shortstop, a player who is still well regarded in New York among the Mets’ faithful. However, the team was quick to squash that hope, with a source close to the Mets saying that a Reyes return to New York “has virtually no chance of materializing.”
In a matter of days, Reyes will likely receive his release from the Rockies, who will pay him roughly $40 million over the next two seasons, freeing up the shortstop to sign with anyone. However, that team won’t be the Mets, despite the team’s injury issues in the infield and the popularity of Reyes amongst the fan base.
In theory, the Mets could move either Asdrubal Cabrera or Neil Walker to third base to fill in for the injured David Wright, who may or may not be able to return this season, allowing Reyes to play either second base or shortstop. The team could also add Reyes as a back up infielder in lieu of rookie Matt Reynolds. However, neither option seems to be appealing to the Mets, and for good reason, considering the way Reyes’ skills have diminished over the last few seasons and the controversy surrounding a domestic violence incident last October.
Although the team won’t be looking to sign Reyes, Mets manager Terry Collins spoke about the shortstop on Wednesday. “When we lost Jose, I said, ‘This is a major piece gone here,’ because of his energy to play the game, his love to play the game, his love to play the game in New York City,” said Collins, who managed Reyes when he won the National League batting title in 2011. “It’s hard to find those guys. We missed him. I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road. I certainly will always root for him.”
The contingent of Mets’ fans that want Reyes to return to Queens most likely remember the days of him teaming up with David Wright. Collins lamented those days, saying, “I thought they’d be here a long time. I thought Jose would be here many, many years. I think it’s a tribute to the kind of players this organization looks for. This is a hard game to play. This is a real hard game to play in this city. And when you walk in the clubhouse every day, you see David Wright sitting in the corner with a smile on his face. And then you turn to Jose, and nobody had a bigger smile than him — every day, 0-for-4, 0-for-10, 10-for-10. Same guys. So you need those guys.”
Where Reyes ends up, and if he lands with a major league club, remains to be seen, but he remains optimistic that his career isn’t over. After the Rockies cut ties with him Wednesday, Reyes sent out a tweet in Spanish that read: “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, it’s that you get up and keep trying. Thanks to God for everything.”
