Jose Reyes is headed back to where his career started: New York.
The Mets announced Saturday they signed Reyes to a minor league contract and that he will report to the Brooklyn Cyclones Sunday, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. Newsday‘s Marc Carig provided comments from New York general manager Sandy Alderson and Reyes:
Alderson told reporters Reyes will play third base on Sunday.
Reyes has not played in the big leagues in 2016 after he was suspended without pay through May 31—which cost him 52 games and $7.06 million, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports—for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.
Reyes was arrested in November and charged with abuse of a family and/or household member, per a Maui Police Department report (via MLB.com’s Thomas Harding).
The report noted Reyes and his wife got into an argument at a hotel in Hawaii that “turned physical and resulted in injuries. Mrs. Reyes was treated by medics at the scene and later transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.”
Reyes had a trial set for April, but the charges were dropped when his wife did not cooperate with prosecutors, according to the Associated Press (h/t Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post).
The Colorado Rockies, who acquired Reyes from the Toronto Blue Jays last July, designated the 33-year-old for assignment June 15 after he was reinstated from the restricted list following a nine-game rehab stint in Triple-A.
Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich told Harding the team “determined that it was best we part ways—best for the direction of the organization, best for what was going on in the clubhouse and best for Jose.”
Reyes was with the Mets from 2003-11, playing in four All-Star Games and winning the National League batting title in his final season with a .337 average.
His injury history and age make it unlikely he’ll be that kind of player again, but New York needed to bolster its offense, which ranks 28th in the majors in runs scored.
The Mets have a pitching staff capable of carrying them deep into October, but their offense has not held up its end of the bargain despite accounting for 74.3 percent of a $135.2 million payroll, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
Reyes wouldn’t be expected to carry the lineup if he is called up to the majors, but his ability to put the ball in play and his speed on the bases could help New York challenge the first-place Washington Nationals in the NL East.
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