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Due to the circumstances of his acquisition, José Reyes will always occupy an interesting place in the collective memory of Rockies fans. It will conflict with the way he’s likely to be remembered outside of Rockies fandom.
From one perspective of Rockies fans, Reyes has been the breathing embodiment of Troy Tulowitzki’s absence. From another perspective, he was simply the monied linchpin that allowed the Rockies to acquire prospects. Both perspectives flatten him. Reyes has had an excellent career. He is a four time All-Star and received MVP votes in four different seasons; his highest finish was seventh on the 2006 ballot. Reyes has compiled 36.8 rWAR during his career. If he had done it all for the Rockies, he’d be the fourth most valuable player in franchise history. Carlos Gonzalez has only posted 20 rWAR in his time with the Rockies. Reyes has had an excellent career. But, through no fault of his own, he’s likely to be remembered with some bitterness among Rockies fans.
The bitterness won’t even be attached to his lackluster performance for the Rockies. Because of that, a review of Reyes’s 2015 season is a peculiar task. But power on we must.
Reyes played 47 games for the Rockies after coming over in late July and accrued 208 plate appearances. He was roughly replacement level. It’s possible that Reyes had a hard time adjusting to the move. As a Blue Jay in 2015, Reyes hit .285/.322/.385 for an OPS+ of 95 in 69 games and 311 PA’s. As a Rockie, however, he hit just .259/.291/.368. His OPS+ was just 67. At 32, Reyes isn’t as fast as he used to be. He swiped eight bags but was also caught four times. Defensively, he didn’t cost the Rockies any runs.
Whether or not Reyes is a member of the Rockies next season, he’ll only be remembered for his performance on the field if he’s extraordinarily bad or unexpectedly good. Regardless, when Reyes eventually retires, the way he’ll be remembered among Rockies fans will not be proportionate to the career he had.