The Mets are signing infielder Pablo Reyes to a minor league deal, according to a report from MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Reyes recently elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Yankees when Giancarlo Stanton returned from the injured list earlier this week. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Syracuse.
Reyes, 31, is a veteran of parts of seven MLB seasons at this point. It’s the second consecutive season where Reyes has been part of the Mets organization. He began the 2024 campaign with the Red Sox but was traded to New York in May of last year. He briefly joined the roster as a depth option and made a single appearance as a pinch runner where he recorded a run scored before being designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors.
Outside of his brief stint in Queens last year, Reyes has appeared in the Yankees, Red Sox, Brewers, and Pirates organizations over the years. He made his MLB debut in Pittsburgh back in 2018 and hit an impressive .293/.349/.483 across 18 games in that first cup of coffee, but was unable to replicate those results in 2019. He missed the entire 2020 season due to a PED suspension and departed the organization not long afterwards. Reyes signed with the Brewers on a minor league deal prior to the 2021 season and was passable but below average at the plate in 56 games for the club across two seasons, hitting .258/.330/.344 (84 wRC+) during his time in Milwaukee.
Reyes joined the Red Sox prior to the 2023 season and enjoyed by far his strongest season in the majors with Boston. Across 64 games as a platoon partner for David Hamilton on the middle infield, Reyes hit a respectable .287/.339/.377 with a wRC+ of 93 while striking out at a career-low 11.4% clip. Unfortunately, that strong performance increasingly appears to have been a flash in the pan as he’s hit just .187/.237/.220 (26 wRC+) with a 29.6% strikeout rate in 98 plate appearances between the Red Sox and Yankees the last two seasons.
While Reyes is hardly a good bet to offer value with the bat, he’s a versatile defender with plenty of speed. That’s enough to make him an interesting bench option for plenty of MLB clubs, and it’s at least conceivable an injury or two could make him a viable consideration for the Mets. Nick Madrigal and Mark Vientos are already on the shelf for New York as things stand, with youngsters Luisangel Acuna and Ronny Mauricio currently on the MLB bench. If the Mets decide either young player could benefit from regular at-bats at Triple-A or another injury occurs, Reyes would compete with other non-roster players like Donovan Walton and David Villar to be the next man up.
I get this is a depth signing and yeah for the mets but you would have to think Reyes could have found another team with a quicker way to the majors.
He’s 31 and hasn’t made any money in baseball terms. Playoffs shares should be enticing enough.
@ Roll Minor league depth piece is all he is, and his path is no quicker no matter where he signs. that said, his path may actually be fastest with the Mets. The Mets may want to send Acuna down and need someone with speed to replace him.
Wow, just what we needed! Dollar Store David Stearns strikes again
“Dollar store David”…So, people are now so desperate for negative commentary and sentiments they’re now calling the highest spending(by far) GM and owner “cheap”.
I suppose the “dollar store” now carries items with a $765M, Juan Soto price tag? My advice to you? Get some new, more accurate negative material.
Guy/girl (honestly gotta be a guy) is so ridiculous. I have a hard time believing people ao stupid exist
LFGMets is only here for amusement guys, don’t take it so seriously. It’s more fun when you take the comments as 😃 comedy
Why?? We have plenty of middle infielders……SMH