Padres Rumors: Jose Reyes? Would A.J. Preller Dare?
As the reports of the blockbuster trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays for Jose Reyes, there were reports a third team might be involved. Immediately rumors swirled that the San Diego Padres could be involved somehow. The Blue Jays and Padres had been connected to many trade talks, most notably for Craig Kimbrel. There turned out to be no third team and the trade was agreed upon with just the two clubs.
The deal locked a no trade clause for Tulowitzki and despite the Toronto turf on his chronic injured body, he appears to be a Jay for the rest if his contract. Reyes on the other hand seems to be a funny fit for the Rockies. They surely will be shopping him and he could be dealt soon. Reyes was once the cream of the shortstop position, but has struggled staying healthy of late.
Looking at Reyes and his numbers you will see that his defense has decreased the last two seasons. His 13 errors this season result in a .953 fielding percentage. That is really bad. His career .973 fielding percentage leads you to believe he can be better. One would just hope that with his age, Reyes hasn’t lost a step defensively.
Offensively, Reyes has still been traditionally productive at a regularly weak position. So far this season Reyes is hitting .285 with four homers and 34 RBI’s in 69 games. He has stolen 16 bases and scored 36 runs. He still provides a decent spark on the top of the order, but at the age of 32, how much is left in the tank?
Reyes has injury issues as well. Constant leg injuries have forced Reyes to miss over 250 games the last seven seasons. This season Reyes spent time on the disabled list with a cracked rib. He missed a total of four weeks with the injury. Perhaps getting out of the harsh Toronto turf will help limit his injuries. Reyes could be an offensive force, given he is in the right situation.
His contract is another issue that you must closely take into consideration. He is making $22 million dollars this year, and $22 million for the 2016 & 2017 season as well. He then has a $22 million dollar contract for 2018 or a team buyout at $4 million dollars. Reyes is due in excess of $55 million dollars for the next two and one half seasons. Not exactly bargain basement price for a player that has many question marks. That is a lot of money invested into a player with health issues.
Still if the Padres were to get the Rockies to take on Melvin Upton Jr’s contract, then a deal might become reasonable. Reyes could be worth a gamble simply because there are not very many great options out there. The team needs a shortstop that is ready to produce now and Reyes would bring that. Question is how motivated is he to play and what kin of character does he bring to the clubhouse.
The character concerns can not be taken lightly. In constructing a succesful Major League team you must mix a group of players that feed off each other and play as a family. Reyes could be an option, but probably not very likely. In the end the Rockies would probably not want to deal him within the division and the Padres probably will not pay the high asking price the Rockies will surely be looking for. Still the short stop whole has to be filled by someone.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.