Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has cleared waivers, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, making him eligible to be traded to any team. Heyman hears that “at least a couple of teams” have been “poking around” regarding Reyes, but the Rockies aren’t necessarily shopping him around.
There’s been at least some contact with the Yankees about a possible Reyes matchup, Heyman reports, though it’s not known how serious their interest is. Didi Gregorius has been outstanding for much of the summer, hitting .290/.329/.383 dating back to June 1 to go along with his strong defensive work. Reyes could be viewed as a second base option by the Yankees, who have received little from their primary option at the position, Stephen Drew.
Reyes, 32, was hitting reasonably well at the time of the stunner that sent him and three pitching prospects from Toronto to Denver in exchange for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins, but he’s struggled greatly in his new environs. Reyes is hitting just .216/.241/.275 with the Rox — a sharp decline from the .285/.322/.385 he was slashing with the Blue Jays. From a defensive standpoint, Reyes has declined over the past two seasons, so it’s possible that some clubs would think of him more as a second base option than a shortstop anyhow. (Although, getting off the turf in Toronto could revitalize his legs and back to some extent.)
Given the substantial financial commitment still remaining on Reyes contract, it’s unsurprising to see him go unclaimed. He’s still owed about $6.37MM of this year’s $22MM salary, and he’ll earn $22MM in both 2016 and 2017, plus a $4MM buyout of a $22MM option for the 2018 season. All told, that’s about $54.37MM owed to Reyes through the 2017 season.
For what it’s worth, Heyman hears that while Reyes spoke highly of the Mets this weekend and seems to be amenable to a return to New York City, the Mets did not show any interest in reacquiring him following his move to Colorado.
Reyes becomes the third known player to have cleared revocable waivers. We’ll be keeping an update-to-date list of players that have cleared waivers, and you can always find a link to that list on the MLBTR Features sidebar on the right-hand side of the desktop version of MLBTR. (Mobile users may want to bookmark the post for easy reference.)
San Diego or Oakland could be dark horses as well.
I don’t see SD taking on anymore salary unless they can swap a bad contract or two in a deal.
Don’t think SD have to pay anything. Don’t the rockies have to pay the rest of his contract no matter what since they traded for him?
Any team that trades for Reyes would be trading for his contract as well (minus any portion the Rockies agreed to cover).
Hmmm, Matt Kemp does have a career .985 OPS at Coors…
Kemp would need to patrol that huge Coors outfield…I’m not sure I go there if I’m Colorado. I suppose he could take a slot when/if CarGo is dealt. Rockies have some OF prospects on the way I’m sure they’d like to get a look at.
Maybe Oakland ships Billy Butler over to full-time 1B in Denver. He’d be a blast to watch leg out doubles in those gaps. Too bad CO didn’t have him earlier in his career…Butler pretty much displayed everything offensively but speed and power…Coors would have put a few more of those wall banging doubles into the seats. Butler sure has fallen off a cliff at only 29
Yet again, poor diet and fitness claim another hitter. He looks even fatter than he was last year right now. Bat speed is down too. While Oakland does have issues with free agent hitters signing there, just because Butler said yes doesn’t mean they should have gone through with it.
I don’t know… Hes always been Country Breakfast…but man has the obp crashed! Hes had 2.5 seasons of it basically. He doesn’t even have the power to fall back on the way a Mark Reynolds or Brandon Moss does. If Butler doesn’t hit he might actually be the least valuable player in MLB
Maybe…could see the Yankees going for Reyes at 2B. I see the Padres and Cubs trying to match up on Starlin Castro over the winter with maybe Tyson Ross going to Chicago in the deal. I look for the Cubs rotation to have Price and Ross/Cashner in it next opening day
Completely agree. It all really depends on how much value Castro can build if he starts getting everyday starts at 2nd. A lot of people are calling his contract the worst in baseball but it is nowhere near that. He maxes out at 11m in his last year, is still very young and has plenty of time to work on whatever issues he is having. If he can start hitting again and play a solid 2nd, his value shoots back up again. I would love to see Ross or Cashner at the back of our rotation next year. Price, Lester, Arrieta, Hammel, Ross/Cashner is a very very good rotation!
Castro is far from having the worst contract in baseball. Oakland gets to pay Billy Butler 10m a season on his deal. Sure…the contract in place locks down what he has to achieve to be worth it…but I’ll take a player like his age 26-29 type seasons. If he’s going to peak he’ll do it in the next few seasons. I know the case can be made he’s been in the league forever already… But some guys just don’t click until their prime years… It makes their valuable career short…but if anteam catches those years it works.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YOU EXPECT TO GET TYSON ROSS FOR STARLIN CASTRO!?!?!?!?!?!? SURE, WE’LL DO THAT IF YOU PAY ALL OF CASTRO’S SALARY!!!!!!
Well, JJ Hardy hasn’t been exactly getting it done for the Orioles this year.
Maybe one bad contract for another with some other interesting trades?
The Orioles desperately need a lead-off hitter and Reyes would do that for them.
Reyes is owed 20 MM more than Hardy over the next 2 seasons, why would the O’s want to make that trade?
Because they might believe Reyes has more refined skills and/or different skills than Hardy. It’s not always about being cheap.
I don’t think not giving a guy that is going to get $20M more for a comparable all-around player is being “cheap”. LOL
Hardy is one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. The Orioles have two capable shortstops already playing at 2nd and 3rd. The Orioles need to spend that type of money on pitching. Chen is walking after this year already.
Yes, but the O’s have NO lead-off hitter, Bob.
To me that is a problem.
Plus, I would rather see a motivated Reyes on the O’s than the Yankees.
“Motivated Reyes” is an oxymoron.
He runs neck and neck with Hanley Ramirez as the guy I’d least want to have on my team unless someone else is picking up the tab…and even then I have to cringe
I can see the better option for him converting to 2nd base if he’s traded
Not surprised Reyes has struggled, that move had to be really deflating to him. I felt bad for the guy.
Feel sorry for a Guy making millions, try living in this country on Minimum wage !
A very small percentage actually live on minimum wage in this country and I’d be willing to bet that you don’t either.
Feel sorry for minimum wage, try living in Haiti where they literally eat cookies made out of dirt!
Not everyone’s happiness is tied into money. He has a wife and 3 kids, you think staying in Colorado for weeks on end instead of a much closer place to his house like Toronto doesn’t take a toll on a family man?
Jose , Back to the Mutts !
While the majority of Mets fans would love to see him return, the remaining years of Reyes’ contract render him an albatross. How sad that such a talented player becomes an unwanted pariah, a hot potato if you will, due to the $’s the Marlins offered him.
Slowly but surely, it seems almost every team in MLB is stuck with a number of years on a contract in which the player is getting radically more money then he’s worth based on his production. And in almost all cases, the teams FO and ownership are wishing they had those funds to get or retain a good ballplayer (or 2 or 3) that would make the team better.
Lets see if things change with those 5-8 year contracts.
Agreed…Taking a look at the highest paid players in MLB currently, only a handful are earning the $’s they are owed:
1Clayton Kershaw Starting Pitcher $34,571,428
2Justin Verlander Starting Pitcher $28,000,000
3Miguel Cabrera 1st Base $28,000,000
4Cliff LeeS tarting Pitcher $27,500,000
5Zack Greinke Starting Pitcher $26,000,000
6Felix Hernandez Starting Pitcher $25,857,142
7Jon Lester Starting Pitche r$25,000,000
8Albert Pujols 1st Base $25,000,000
9C.C. Sabathia Starting Pitcher $25,000,000
10 Ryan Howard 1st Base $25,000,000
11Robinson Cano 2nd Base $24,000,000
12 Prince Fielder Designated Hitter$ 24,000,000
13Cole Hamels Starting Pitcher $23,500,000
14Mark Teixeira 1st Base $23,125,000
15Joe Mauer 1st Base $23,000,000
16Hanley Ramirez Left Field $22,750,000
17Max Scherzer Starting Pitcher $22,142,857
18Jose Reyes Shortstop $22,000,000
I’d say a great deal of them are “earning” their money. You have to also consider that most of them outplayed their salary for many years beforehand, so it’s all balanced out.
If teams were willing to take their lumps on back-end loaded/unrealistically long contracts that pay out big money past a player’s prime, I’d agree on the “balancing out” part – but realistically if there’s a way for a GM to move an unproductive player who is a poor value, they need to at least explore it
I’m not going to state that these contract are justified, but a players marketability also needs to be taken into consideration. People wear a lot more Kershaw replica jerseys than Chris Heisey jerseys. A players pay can’t be based just on productivity.
I will add to your good point that many more of this season’s mlb trades looked like nba trades as a result – and there isn’t even a true salary cap in mlb
I bet Reyes really wishes he had a no trade clause.
Loria is so evil.
I dunno – collecting selfies in different unis while collecting 22 mil a year is not a bad way to be
22 million would certainly take care of alot of my apprehension
I think he’s stuck in Colorado until after the World Series…