Jose Reyes has always tried his best to appease Mets fan, unfortunately after months of miscommunication, he took one bit of advice too far. Reyes, confused by what he thought to be an overwhelming outcry from fans signs at Citi Field, resigned from the Mets after Wednesday night’s loss to Washington.
“Every night, I see hundreds of ‘Resign Jose Reyes’ signs, ‘Please Resign Jose,’” said a distraught Reyes. “I play this game with pride, and if the fans don’t want me, I don’t want to stay here and make them angry.”
Mets fans, apparently unaware they’ve been asking for Jose’s resignation, were flabbergasted by the news, but their confusion was dwarfed by the shock felt by manager Terry Collins.
“Thanks a lot, Mets fans,” he shouted. “There’s a freakin hyphen in ‘re-sign!’ You wanted him to re-sign, not resign. You should have seen the sadness on Jose’s face, it was heartbreaking!”
Unfortunately for the Mets, Reyes’ agent filed papers with the league, and according to Major League Baseball rules, a player resignation cannot be immediately rescinded. Reyes will become a free agent as scheduled and is eligible to sign with another team after sitting out the rest of the 2011 season.
“It was a stupid mistake on our part,” said Brooklyn resident Sal Sacramano, leader of the “Resign Jose Reyes,” movement. “Who knew, a Dominican guy understood English better than we did?”
The gaffe doesn’t necessary mean Reyes won’t be back with the Mets next season. He is still free to sign with any team this offseason, and the Mets are hopeful he will be able to put this whole situation behind him and sign a team-friendly contract.
“Reyes not playing these last 13 games can only help us when it comes to contract negotiations,” said GM Sandy Alderson. “It’s unfortunate this had to happen, but if it means we can knock a few million off his deal, then you’ve done your job Mets fans.”
