Jose Jose No Jose!

[Ceetar]

soupcan wrote: Ceetar wrote: I don't see anyway that it suggests he didn't shove her into a glass door and injure her. And it's not like they're remotely equal in stature. He's a ripped professional athlete, it doesn't matter if it was blown out of proportion, he still intentionally attacked her. 'Suggests'? Yeah, you're probably right. But without charges being filed and having his wife's testimony, you don't really know what happened. You don't know what their relationship is like. There are quite a few unkowns here. Could be Jose didn't fight the MLB suspension to protect her. You don't know. Again - I don't want to come off as if I'm defending Jose. I'm just trying to sort of play devil's advocate here and point out just how much is unknown.

a lot is unknown, but what's not unknown is that we have a 911 call and a medical report (well, we have the 911 call, _someone_ has a medical report) I mean, we can get into the shades of gray about how bad a domestic violence incident it was. People lose their temper and act in anger all the time, but in the end, when the result is an injured person it doesn't really matter why.

I do think there is a road to some sort of 'redemption' for Jose, but between the diminished skills, and the positional adjustment, that road is just not the Mets.

It doesn't really matter what they investigate about it. I'm not sure there's a single realistic phrase that could come from the Mets, owned by Jeff Wilpon, that would redeem the signing of Jose Reyes in the light of the violence.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Like Ceetar said, the asserted/established facts of the matter haven't really been in dispute.

To an indeterminate extent, I think we can certainly use him on-field; as others have said earlier upthread, he brings contact-hitting and baserunning skills we sorely lack, and may be an upgrade over current third-base/backup-middle-infield options. As a father of a daughter and the husband/son/nephew/grandson to a number of women who've dealt with varying degrees of emotional and physical violence from partners and other loved ones... it would be a very, very difficult sell.

[nymr83]

soupcan wrote: I'd just like to know the wife's reasons for not pressing charges is all.

[nymr83]

I mean, look at Aroldis Chapman. Violently shot up his garage in anger at his wife/girlfriend and I doubt anyone's harassing him about it or booing him at Yankee Stadium. Basically forgotten?

Can't we hold ourselves to higher standard than what Yankees Fans do?

[Guest cooby]

As in 'Jose we love you but you just don't throw your wife against a wall'?

Yes let's do that

[soupcan]

I'm sorry but none of these guys are perfect and short of even having charges pressed against him, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

cooby wrote: As in 'Jose we love you but you just don't throw your wife against a wall'? Yes let's do that

He apparently did a horrible thing. He'll always have this stain on him, and he should. At the same time, if he gets the help he needs, and recognizes the seriousness of the action and is properly contrite, I think he deserves a second chance. I think people deserve an opportunity to turn their lives around.

I'm questioning whether the move makes baseball sense. He's not going to replace Cabrera as our starting shortstop. He's being touted for a utility role but plays one position. At this point, is he better than Matt Reynolds, who he'd be replacing?

If yes, then let's proceed. If not, then we should wish Jose the best in his life and career. He'll get a Mets Hall of Fame plaque at some point.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He's played second. For us.

Also, is he better than Matt Reynolds? Yes. Yes, he's almost certainly Matt-Reynolds-plus.

[Edgy MD]

One factor in this is that he'd almost certainly have to get his game together in Vegas during a month or so, giving the Mets the time to assess what their needs will be the rest of the season, whether he can still perform, whether he can reasonably perform at other positions, and whether they can work with him to make a good story out of this awful one.

Else it's one of those reunions that happens on paper, but is never realized in uniform, like Edgardo Alfonzo in 2006.

[Edgy MD]

Jon Heyman wrote: With it looking like Reyes is headed to free agency, the chances for a return to the Mets have gone from nil to very good in seemingly no time. http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/new-york-mets/heyman-slim-trade-market-reyes-eyes-mets/

[Ceetar]

hey look at that, like clockwork, someone brings up Reyes again with vague rumors so we can keep talking about it! 24 hour news cycle wins again.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Edgy MD wrote: With it looking like Reyes is headed to free agency, the chances for a return to the Mets have gone from nil to very good in seemingly no time. http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/new-york-mets/heyman-slim-trade-market-reyes-eyes-mets/

Totally believeable in the sense that theyd never trade anything of value for him and sure as hell wouldn't take on that contract. Only questions are whether he can play anymore or whether hes accepring of the role he will be offered.

Mets would know better than most what ki d of character they are getting, good and bad.

[Guest 86-Dreamer]

Reyes was not good last year but had a 3.2 WAR as recently as 2014. Cespedes is the only Mets position player on track to produce more than that this year. It is not reasonable to expect Reyes to jump right back up to that level of production, but you'd have a tough time finding another minimum salary player with the potential to be even half that good. Send him to Vegas and see what happens.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Jon Heyman saying that Jose to the Mets is "very likely".

http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/new-york-mets/heyman-mets-reunion-jose-reyes-likely/

The Mets and their former star Jose Reyes are very likely to reunite, according to people familiar with the situation, though there’s no done deal at this point.

He's played 9 games for the Rockies' AAA team in Albuquerque this year, so he wouldn't be starting from square one in his preparation. I'm not sure though how long it would take for him to gear up to be ready to play in the big leagues. (He was 10 for 33 with 7 walks, 2 homers, and 3 steals, .303 /.425/.485 in those 9 games.)

I think it's a good baseball move. Low risk, high reward. From a human perspective, I'm less certain. The incident in Maui may have been an uncharacteristic one-off (although I'm skeptical of that) and people do deserve second chances. I'm not so sure that I want the Mets to be the team giving the second chance in this case.

[ashie62]

Bring him in, the NFL does it hourly.

[Centerfield]

I really don't know what to make of the domestic violence charges.

On one hand, I think it is incredibly dangerous to punish or condemn anyone based upon allegations or suspicion alone. That is a very, very dangerous path. Who knows what might have happened that night. Although unlikely, maybe Jose was acting in self-defense (See Finley, Chuck) or maybe he feared for the safety of his kids. We just don't know.

At the same time, MLB felt there was enough to suspend him for 50 games, so they must have found something. Is there a report available? Maybe that could shed some light.

And anyone with half a brain knows that it is still very, very difficult for a woman to follow through on such charges, and that there is tremendous social pressure to drop them. So chances are, Jose fucked up. But again, how can we know for sure?

[Edgy MD]

Ashie62 wrote: Bring him in, the NFL does it hourly.

The NFL is just an awful and hateful standard.

Whatever the decision, it surely demands a more thoughtful process than the NFL has ever indulged in.

[Centerfield]

Edgy MD wrote: Ashie62 wrote: Bring him in, the NFL does it hourly. The NFL is just an awful and hateful standard. Whatever the decision, it surely demands a more thoughtful process than the NFL has ever indulged in.

Yeah, I think "the NFL does it" is a terrible justification for any action.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I agree. It's like asking Donald Trump for advice.

[A Boy Named Seo]

If it goes down, Jose has worn 7 at every stop in MLB. 77 like a left tackle? My bet is 6. He's a June baby.

Shitty rooting for a domestic abuser (yeah, we don't know for sure, but I feel like we know for sure). His wife is still with him, I guess, and I hope that's out of his contrition and not her fear. Don't be an asshole, Jose.

[ashie62]

Edgy MD wrote: Ashie62 wrote: Bring him in, the NFL does it hourly. The NFL is just an awful and hateful standard. Whatever the decision, it surely demands a more thoughtful process than the NFL has ever indulged in.

The NFL has a domestic abuse policy. It is unfortunate they have to refer to it so often.

[Frayed Knot]

The NFL [u:28bv47l8]Claims[/u:28bv47l8] to have a domestic abuse policy, one that they cobbled together following their complete clusterfuck handling of the Ray Rice "incident", an incident they knew about and then only acted on once both halves of the video became public.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, a policy arrived at while doing everything wrong while not really caring if you did anything right, but only trying to appear to care — a policy that I still assume is cover and will be diverged from as soon as the league suspects it's in her interests — ain't my idea of a model.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Guess he's gonna be a Met, according to broadcast booth (Gary).

[Edgy MD]

Wow.

Of all the dudes out there.

[Centerfield]

As a baseball move, I guess it makes sense, especially since the Mets seem allergic to calling up Herrera. Jose becomes a good insurance policy for Cabrera, especially if he starts to fade like he did in the past. Maybe giving him regular rest will lessen the chances of that.

Even a creaky Reyes becomes the Mets' best SB threat/pinch runner. If he had been here last week maybe we wouldn't have had to endure Flores running in cement shoes as the tying run and getting thrown out at the plate.

In the end I doubt this move will be a difference maker unless Cabrera gets hurt. But with the way guys are dropping like flies, you can't blame Sandy for collecting warm bodies. It would suck to see Reyes sign with someone else then see Cabrera go down for the season.

[ashie62]

Maybe the Mets would put Jose in as the primary LF and send Conforto to Vegas for awhile.

[Guest Mets Guy in Michigan]

It sounds like this is really going to happen -- as soon as today.

[ashie62]

Like momentarily.

[G-Fafif]

Officially signed to minor league deal. Goes to Brooklyn tomorrow.