Jose Reyes had an exclusive interview with beat reporters from his New York Mets days. Here's what he said:
On whether he was surprised that Mets were not more aggressive:
“During the season, you guys know, I always say I want to go back to play there,” Reyes said. “But they don’t do anything to want me there. So, after that, there’s nothing really I can do. Now, I’m with the Miami Marlins. The Mets don’t do anything to have me. It is what it is, man. This is a business and I have to move on. It’s over. I can’t be crying about that, because they don’t show me anything. They don’t push anything to have me there. Why should I be worried about it if they didn’t want me?”
L.M. Otero/Associated PressJose Reyes is introduced Wednesday as a Miami Marlin.
Do you think they just didn’t want you? Or was it probably their financial situation and not being to afford you?
“You know, I can’t tell you that, because they never talked to me,” Reyes said. “I don’t know if it was because of the money or they don’t want me there -- they want to move on with some other pieces. I don’t know, because they never said anything. Sandy maybe talked with Peter, but they don’t offer anything. They don’t do like real offer. They don’t do anything, really.”
Would you have wanted them to call you more this offseason, show you more love?
“No doubt,” Reyes said. “They don’t do that. When we almost get close to making a deal with the Marlins, that’s when they called. But they call for nothing because they don’t offer anything. It’s kind of weird. I was confused a little bit. During the season a lot of times Sandy (Alderson) said, ‘We want Jose’ and stuff like that. I expect they’d at least call and say, ‘We’re still working on some things so we’re going to get to you guys.’ That never happened.”
Do you feel badly leaving David Wright behind in what may be a difficult situation to win?
“I don’t want to say I feel bad,” Reyes said. “They still have some good talent there on the team. I wish all the best to David. I think if he’s healthy this year he’s going to do what he did in the past. I don’t worry about David because he’s a guy who is working hard a lot. I know I’m going to miss him, because I play all my career with him beside me. But it was time for me to move on.”
The hair was to be cut?
“That’s the rule that they have,” Reyes said.
What about making only one postseason appearance with the Mets?
“It is disappointing because you play this game to win,” Reyes said. “A couple of times we had very good teams over the years and we weren’t able to do anything. I feel sorry from that part because we weren’t able to bring a championship to Queens.”
If the money was similar, would you have picked Mets?
“That’s too late to think about that,” Reyes said.
Are you still going to hear those “Jose, Jose” chants at Citi Field?
“I don’t know, to be honest with you,” Reyes said. “I don’t know. But, like I say, I show a lot of love to the fans. They show a lot of love to me too and they support me. They know that I’m going to play for another team. So I don’t know how their reaction is going to be. But I’m going to still love them. Whatever it is it is. But I’m going to play for another team now.”
Was it hard to walk away from only team you ever knew?
“I don’t want to say easy, but I’m on another team now,” Reyes said. “I’m past that place. … It’s never easy, because like I said, I spent all my life playing in New York. So it’s not an easy decision. But what can I do? They didn’t show anything. And Miami, they were there from the beginning for me. With the good plan that they have, I have to make my decision there.”