Mets Rumors: Jose Reyes Expected To Be Signed
New York Mets Rumors: With the lineup needing a spark, it looks like the Mets will turn to an old friend in Jose Reyes once he clears waivers later today.
New York Mets rumors recently have heavily involved shortstop Jose Reyes. When Reyes was initially designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies following his suspension for his domestic abuse incident, it was reported that the Mets were not interested in a reunion with their former shortstop.
It was being said that if the Mets wanted to shift around their infield for Reyes, moving Neil Walker to third base, they’d have done it with Dilson Herrera. But, their tone began to change as the team’s struggles continued on the field in the last week.
Now we sit here with Reyes hours away from clearing waivers, and it not only seems like the Mets are interested in bringing Reyes back to Queens, but are the favorites to do so.
According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, the Mets are expected to sign Reyes as early as 1 PM ET today. David Lennon and Marc Berman of The New York Post share the same sentiment, as they believe all signs point to a reunion between Reyes and the Mets this weekend once he officially clears waivers.
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While the Mets and any other team have not been allowed to discuss a contract with Reyes, they have been allowed to speak with his agent, which they have done according to ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin.
Those talks must have been productive, as the Mets seem confident that Reyes will be back with the organization. Just how confident are they? Manager Terry Collins has actually began discussing different ways to deploy Reyes in the lineup.
Multiple positions have already been discussed between Collins and his staff, as Reyes looks like he can be in a utility role with the Mets, playing shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield. Third base would probably be his primary position, but the Mets seem ready to use Reyes all over the diamond.
"“We’ve talked as a staff about, hey, if he happens to come here, where would he play? How would he fit? Where would we hit him? How much would we play him?” Collins said. “All of those things we’ve sat with the coaches and talked about. We have nothing etched in stone, because he’s not here. It’s like everything else, even though they’re not here, you’ve got to have some type of plan in mind when he does get here, especially at this particular time of year.”"
While it would be weird to see Reyes in the outfield, the Mets have not been shy about trying new ways to get a spark into their lineup. Just ask Matt Reynolds, who played left field during the week against the Kansas City Royals despite never playing there previously.
“We took Matt Reynolds and put him out there with no experience at all,” Collins said. “This guy [Reyes] is as good an athlete as certainly Matt is. He’s got the arm. He’s got the foot speed for it. These are just things we’re tossing around.”
Speed is one thing that the Mets will welcome with open arms, as they are one of the slowest teams in the major leagues. They are second to last in the major leagues with 13 stolen bases on the season, getting caught nine times.
Reyes, despite being 33-years old and not having the same wheels he did when he last played with the Mets in 2011, will still bring an element to the lineup they are sorely lacking.
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It will be interesting to see how the Mets use Reyes, not only where he will play in the field but where will he bat in the lineup? Could he dethrone Curtis Granderson as the team’s leadoff hitter? It will be something to keep an eye on as the Mets and Reyes look like they are heading to a reunion that many fans have been hoping for since he left as a free agent prior to the 2012 season.