Rockies Cut Ties With Reyes

Jose Reyes won’t return to the Rockies after all.

The shortstop, suspended by Major League Baseball on May 13 following allegations of a domestic abuse incident involving his wife in Hawaii, was on Wednesday designated for assignment by the Rockies, meaning the team has 10 days to trade or release him. Reyes has two years remaining on his contract beyond 2016 and is scheduled to make $22 million each in 2017-18.

“At the end of the day we felt that it was best that we part ways; best for the direction of the organization, best for what was going on in the clubhouse and best for Jose,” Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich told reporters. “We considered every single scenario and everything under the sun and at the end of the day obviously the finances were not the trump card or what carried the decision. It was what we felt was best for the organization.”

Reyes has been on a minor league assignment since his suspension ended on May 31. Reyes was arrested in October after allegedly assaulting his wife in Hawaii and placed on administrative leave in February before MLB made its ruling in May.

According to reports, the alleged incident took place on Halloween at the Four Seasons Resort Maui. Citing sources, a TV station reported that Reyes’ wife Katherine told police that Reyes grabbed her throat and shoved her into a glass balcony door.

Reyes was later released on bail. A trial was slated to begin April 4, but Reyes’ wife declined to cooperate with prosecutors so charges were dropped. However, it soon became clear Reyes was not likely to return to the Rockies, especially with the emergence of rookie shortstop Trevor Story, who has 17 home runs.