Colorado Rockies: Jose Reyes Designated for Assignment
By Adam Piede
Jose Reyes’ tenure with the Colorado Rockies has come to an unceremonious end.
This afternoon the Colorado Rockies designated Jose Reyes for assignment, meaning they will have 10 days to either trade him, release him, or have him accept a minor league assignment. Today’s news came on the very day he was activated from the restricted list for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic abuse policy.
Reyes had missed the team’s first 52 games for a domestic violence issue in October 2015. The Rockies will be on the hook for the nearly $40 million remaining on his contract unless they are able to find a trade partner in the next 10 days.
The Rockies’ decision to essentially release Reyes was certainly made easier by the emergence of rookie Trevor Story, who has taken over at shortstop in his absence. Story currently leads the National League in extra base hits, and currently sits third in the league with 17 home runs.
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Prior to his domestic violence issue, Reyes was rumored to be unhappy in Colorado and was said to be open to being traded. By cutting ties with Reyes, the team has officially handed the shortstop reins to Story at least for the foreseeable future.
Reyes came over to Colorado last year from the Toronto Blue Jays in a blockbuster trade which included Troy Tulowitzki. In releasing Reyes, the team will look to distance itself even further from the trade that sent Tulowitzki, the longtime face of the franchise, north of the border.
In 47 games last year for Colorado, Reyes logged 208 at-bats, batting .259 with three home runs and eight stolen bases. Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich will probably loathe the day he pulled the trigger on the move that brought Reyes to the purple and black.
At age 33, it is unlikely that Reyes’ playing days are over. There should be a few teams, most notably in New York, who will be willing to give the veteran another chance. There has been at least a minimal groundswell of fan support in Queens who would like to have the one-time fan favorite back with the Mets.
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Given the Mets’ limited infield options, Reyes will be at least a consideration for general manager Sandy Alderson. Regardless of where Reyes ends up playing next, he will have a lot of work to do to repair his image in the court of public opinion.