$22 million no-show
The strange saga of Jose Reyes is nearing an end, butwhat then?
The highest-paid player in Rockies history is like a ghost in limbo. Jose Reyes, the fleetfooted shortstop taken down by charges of domestic violence, has been a Colorado player by contract only. He has no uniform, no locker, no physical connection to his team.
Instead, he’s waiting for Major League Baseball to decide his fate.
In baseball’s first major effort in handing out punishment to violators of its new domestic violence policy, even Commissioner Rob Manfred is stuck waiting. Two months ago, at spring training, Manfred said he was ready “to act quickly.” One month ago, in the opening week of the season, Manfred said he hoped a decision would come “in days as opposed to weeks.”
It has now been six months since Reyes was arrested in Maui and alleged by Hawaii police to have assaulted his wife in their Four Seasons hotel room.
Since then, the Rockiesmoved on. Rookie shortstop Trevor Story took over for Reyes beginning in spring training and on Friday hit his 10th home run. He is tied for the major-league lead. Reyes hit seven home runs in 116 games last year.
TheRockies, who entered the season with the highest payroll in franchise history, about $113 million, have paidReyes, 32, more than $3 million to not play. He is currently on paid administrative leave while MLB works through his case.
A punishment is likely to be leveled this week, sources told The Denver Post. But what then?
“We’re paying him. So I really don’t know how to answer that other than we’ll deal with it,” Rockies owner DickMonfort said.
The strange saga of Reyes’ short tenure with the Rockies started in late July when Colorado swapped Troy Tulowitzki, the best shortstop in franchise history, and veteran reliever LaTroyHawkins toToronto in exchange for Reyes, pitching prospect Jeff Hoffman, reliever Miguel Castro and then20-year-old right-hander Jesus Tinoco.
To make the exchange of salaries feasible for Toronto taking Tulowitzki, the Rockies accepted Reyes, who had a whopping $56.3 million remaining on his contract.
Colorado will recoup a portion of Reyes contractwhen an expected punishment is finally levied. In March, MLB suspended Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman for 30 games because of domestic violence allegations. And New York saved $1.8 million of his $11.3 million salary this season.
Reyes’ salary is only part of the Rockies’ problem. He has been working out on his own in New York, away fromtheRockies’ facilities in Colorado and Arizona, but even if he returned tomorrow, Reyeswould still likely needweeks to ready himself for major-league games. He missed all of spring training and any live competition since last fall.
There might not even be a spot on the roster for him by then.
“There are punches you don’t see coming. You have to roll with them and prepare for that,” said Jeff Bridich, the Rockies’ general manager. “Whether it’s in the absence of Troy Tulowitzki or Jose Reyes, we’rewell-positioned to adjust and succeed at that position.”
And would the Rockies even want him back?
Reyes’ wife, Katherine, told police in October that he pulled her off their hotel bed, grabbed her throat and shoved her into a sliding glass balcony door, according to a Hawaii news report.
Reyes pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in November but he has not talked about his arrest since then.
“I’d like to know exactly what happened,” Monfort said. “It’s easy for us all to speculate on whatever happened. But until we really know, it’s hard. You’re dealing with a guy’s life.
“But if he did something wrong, he should pay for it.”
Chapman’s punishmentwas a first forMLB under a newpolicy negotiated with theplayers union last year. Baseball’s policy was written in the wake of the NFL’s bungling of Ray Rice’s domestic violence charges, in which the Baltimore Ravens running back was suspended for two games, then suspended indefinitely after a videobecamepublic, then reinstated on appeal.
Reyes’ case will likely prove to be a lasting precedent for baseball. Chapman’s accusations surfaced in December but hewas never arrested or formally charged. Reyes was set for trial in Hawaii onAug. 4. His case was dropped this spring after prosecutors said they could not get Reyes’ wife to testify.
MLB was able to move quickly with Chapman in part because it was able to gather information in Florida. Reyes’ allegations, though, sprung from Hawaii, where MLB doesn’t have an official presence.
“We can’t talk about the case specifically,” said Pat Courtney, baseball’s chief communications officer. “But each case presents its own unique circumstance.”
Reyes last wore a Rockies uniform on Oct. 4, when he went 0for-5 in Colorado’s season-ending 7-3 victory at San Francisco.
“Since there wasn’t any trial, it makes it a little more difficult,” Monfort said. “(MLB) wants to be fair to everybody. That means to all our fans, all of us who have a little bit of a problem with whatever happened. But you’ve got to be fair, and they want to do it right.”