Written by Adam Rubin at ESPN.com
Jose Reyes signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on Saturday after the 33-year-old shortstop became a free agent earlier in the day.
Reyes will report to Class A Brooklyn and is expected to play third base Sunday, the Mets announced. Reyes is slated to address the media after the game.
General manager Sandy Alderson estimated Reyes will play for a week to 10 days in the minors before joining the Mets. He will likely move on to Double-A Binghamton or Triple-A Las Vegas after a second game with Brooklyn on Monday.
The Mets originally signed Reyes in 1999 as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic. He was a member of the organization for a dozen years, winning the National League batting title in 2011 before departing for a six-year, $106 million contract with the Miami Marlins.
Reyes was arrested Oct. 31 after a physical altercation with his wife at the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea, Hawaii. He allegedly grabbed his wife, Katherine, by the throat and pushed her into a sliding-glass door in their hotel room. Reyes’ wife declined to cooperate with prosecutors, and a judge in Hawaii formally dropped a domestic abuse charge in April.
Major League Baseball suspended Reyes without pay through May 31 for violating its domestic abuse policy. Reyes forfeited $6.25 million in salary as a result of the suspension. Unable to trade Reyes, the Colorado Rockies placed him on waivers Thursday for the purpose of granting him his release, and Reyes became a free agent Saturday.
“As I have expressed in the past, I deeply regret the incident that occurred and remain remorseful and apologetic to my family,” Reyes said in a statement. “I have completed the counseling required by MLB, have been in ongoing therapy, and will continue with counseling going forward. I appreciate the Mets organization for believing in me and providing the opportunity to come back home to New York.”
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