MLB Places Jose Reyes on Paid Leave Until Trial Ends

As we all know, current Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes was arrested for a domestic violence incident in Hawaii this past Halloween. We’ve been awaiting a suspension decision from commissioner Rob Manfred, who holds sole discretionary power for discipline in domestic violence cases. A decision has been issued by the commissioner’s office; they’re waiting until the legal process is complete. In the meantime, Reyes will be placed on paid administrative leave until the conclusion of the legal proceedings.

This isn’t a cop out. This is a sound, calculated move by Manfred; he’s outsourcing the investigation of the truth to the legal system and putting distance between Major League Baseball, the media, the team and Reyes. Manfred has effectively removed most of the media circus that follows legal battles from the Rockies clubhouse by keeping Reyes away from baseball and allowing the Rockies to focus on the game. The decision also is beneficial for Reyes; he won’t have to be in front of recorders or cameras every day while this is entering the trial period.

One thing to keep in mind is that legal battles take time. We truly don’t know how long it will take for the legal process to conclude; the initial trial, scheduled for Apr. 4, might not yield a verdict immediately. There could be an appeal following that decision. These things take time, and Reyes is “on leave” until it’s all over. Once the legal process has finished, Manfred will make a decision to suspend Reyes, likely affecting his paychecks. As of now, Reyes is still getting his paychecks, which should be a non-starter until a verdict has been reached.

For now, hold your judgement on this decision from Manfred. He’s doing the smart thing and letting the experts come to a decision before moving forward with his own. We’ll be back to see what the final decision is on Reyes post-trial.

We all love sweet nostalgia, which is why staff writer Logan Bannon is periodically going to turn back the clock to remember a forgotten Rockie.  He’s busting out my old baseball card collection and picking out some of my old friends from different eras of Rockies baseball history. This week, his focus is on one of his childhood favorites, Neifi Perez.