This year has become something special, knowing that this is the last ride for Derek Jeter. For the fans, this is special. For the front office, this has to be a nightmare. How do you replace the Captain, the face of the team for the last 2 decades? He has come to represent the Yankees at their best, from his hitting to his fielding, to his ability to get something started in a moment of crisis. These are big shoes to fill.
So, I have to wonder about the latest rumors about the Yankees pursuing Jose Reyes for the 2015 shortstop position. Is this the guy to fill Jeter’s shoes? The rumors have been running for the last few days, and Reyes is busy discounting it by reminding everyone that he is under contract with Toronto through the 2017 season. While a trade is not unheard of between the two teams, it seems like a stretch.
Nevertheless, let us assume that we are near the trade deadline and the Yankees make the deal with the Blue Jays. What would we be getting? As a hitter, he is a perennial .280 to .300 hitter, with about a dozen homers when he is healthy. He is a big threat to steal bases, capable of stealing 40 or more bases per season when he is healthy. In the field, he has a career .973 fielding percentage, which is on par for the league, when he is healthy enough to field his position.
Those are all great stats, and could add the kind of value Jeter adds as a player. However, I am sure that by now, you see the pattern. None of those stats is worth a hill of beans if he is hurt. And he gets hurt, often enough where he may go from hero to goat faster than you can blink. He checked in for more than 140 games only once in the last five years. He missed nearly half the season last year after injuring his ankle on a slide into second base. He spent multiple stretches of time on the disabled list over his career due to ankle injuries, calf strains, hamstring injuries, and even had one stint due to a hyperactive thyroid. The realities of player injuries are still fresh in the minds of Yankees management and the fans. None of us wants to relive last year. You have to wonder if it is worth trading for someone who has the resiliency of glass.
So what is the appeal of Jose Reyes? Besides the hitting numbers, he has one more thing in common with Derek Jeter. Simply put, he is popular. He has charisma that attracts the fans. They even had a song for him at Citi Field when he came up to bat. I remember one Halloween a few years back where we joined some friends from church to take the kids for some Trick-or-Treating. One of the kids was dressed up as Jose Reyes. I kid you not. Think black wool for dreads taped to the back of a Mets cap and a Reyes jersey. We brought the kids into one establishment filled with Mets fans. You would have thought Elvis made an appearance. He walked in to a thunderous cheer and walked out with more loot than the rest of the kids combined. He has that kind of appeal, and in a city that can be quite unforgiving. There is something to be said for that.
I think Jose Reyes would be a roll of the dice for the Yankees. If he stays healthy, he can prove to be a valuable asset. Having someone who can hit close to .300 in the lineup and be a major disruption on the bases would be very nice to have. I am just not ready to trade some valuable talent for a guy to sit on the bench, nursing wounds.
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