New York Mets: Face It, Jose Reyes 2.0 Has Been a Failure
Apr 14, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; New York Mets third baseman Jose Reyes (7) walks off the field as the Miami Marlins celebrate their 3-2 win at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets thought they could catch lighting in a bottle when they signed Jose Reyes last year. They thought wrong.

The New York Mets came into this season hoping that David Wright would be able to handle the lion’s share of the starts at third base. Those hopes were dashed early on as Wright got injured during spring training and the Mets decided to backfill his spot with Jose Reyes, who had played 50 games for them there in 2016.

So far this season, Reyes has started 11 games there along with filling in at his natural position, shortstop, when asked. He is enduring a pitiful start to this young season, collecting only five hits in 50 at bats (.100) with no HR, no steals and just three runs scored and five walks. His WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is -0.8 which means he is actually a liability to his team. 

The truth about Reyes is that he has been a liability to his club(s) for some time now. He has had negative WAR ratings in each of the past three seasons. Now, with him playing out of his natural position, he has become not only a liability at the plate, but in the field as well.

Tuesday night’s inexplicable error on an infield pop up in the top of the eighth inning sent shivers through Met fans who can remember the days of Joe Foy. Reyes’ error in  this key spot tied the score and opened the door for the team’s fourth consecutive defeat.

He knows he stinks right now, but told reporters after the game that it’s still early in the season and that there is plenty of time to turn things around. But, based on what I just told you about his value the past several seasons, no one should be confident.

Manager Terry Collins has said that Reyes has “earned the right to work his way out of it”. But has he, really?

This is a player who was so toxic after his domestic violence suspension last year that he was available for Mets to pick him up for a song. No one wanted him. They all knew then what we’re finding out now. This guy is barely a shell of the player that enthralled the populace here a decade ago.

The Mets cannot afford to wait much longer to get him either to the bench or the airport. They’ve already demoted him from the leadoff spot to the lower third of the lineup. Nothing has worked. He looks lost at the plate, and if he’s going to start giving away games in the field, he’s gotta go.

What the Mets should do….

The Mets’ organization is deep in infielders. Astrubal Cabrera is the Mets’ current shortstop, but he can play anywhere in the infield. So can Wilmer Flores, who could take over third until Wright, who has begun baseball activities this week, can return.

Their top prospect, Amed Rosario, is a shortstop that is destined for stardom in Flushing. He’s not scheduled to be brought up until later in the season. But when he does, the Mets’ infield will go through a reshuffle. He’s that good.

They also have former first round pick Gavin Cecchini, who is also a shortstop, but may not be ready for the majors at the moment. The most logical move would be to bring up T.J Rivera, the Bronx native who has shown that he can hit at the major league level. The fans would like to see him back, anyway.

Anything will be better than continuing Reyes 2.0, which was a nice try by the Mets to rekindle the former batting champ’s career, but has proved to be a failure.

John Fennelly has been covering the New York sports scene on the Internet since 1997. He has advised and been published on dozens of prominent websites and in major periodicals and can been heard on sports talk radio stations all over the dial. Before embarking on his career as an accredited journalist, John held several management positions in a successful 25-year career in the financial industry. He holds a degree in New Media/Journalism from Queens College.