Pablo Reyes has cleared waivers and been seen outright to Triple-A Syracuse, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The Mets designated Reyes for assignment earlier this week after acquiring Eddy Alvarez from the Red Sox.
This marks the fourth time Reyes has been outrighted in his career, so he has the choice to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. However, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that Reyes “remains in the organization” following his DFA, which seems to suggest the veteran infielder has accepted the assignment. That would make sense, considering the fact that Reyes will be eligible to play for the Mets in October if they make the postseason. Reyes was a member of the team before the September 1 deadline for postseason eligibility, and as Tim Healey of Newsday Sports points out, he never left the organization. As long as the Mets add him back to the 40-man, they can put him on any potential playoff rosters.
Alvarez, on the other hand, joined the team after the deadline, so he will not be eligible for postseason play. That could clear a path for Reyes to rejoin the club in October. Meanwhile, if Reyes were to elect free agency and latch on elsewhere, he would not be eligible to join his new team in the playoffs.
Reyes, 31, played just one game for New York this season before his DFA, coming in as a pinch-runner for J.D. Martinez on September 1. Prior to joining the Mets, he appeared in 233 games with the Pirates, Brewers, and Red Sox from 2018-24. He has a pitiful .248/.309/.349 career slash line with eight home runs and a 78 wRC+. With offensive numbers like that, his value comes from the fact that he can play capable defense all around the diamond. Given the Mets’ limited infield depth following Jeff McNeil’s wrist injury, it’s not impossible to imagine Reyes making his way onto the team’s postseason roster should they hold onto an NL Wild Card berth. However, the news that the Mets are promoting top prospect Luisangel Acuña doesn’t exactly bode well for Reyes’s chances.
Pitiful? Seems a bit harsh
Yeah agreed, especially with what amounts to less than a full season’s worth of At Bats for his entire career spread out over 6 seasons.. I’d imagine it’s hard to put up strong numbers while bouncing around levels/clubs each year and averaging less than 90 AB per season!