Decline in triples by Reyes tell a tale

Reyes went into decline hitting triples for the Jays
 
 
By Danny Gallagher
Canadian Baseball Network
You have to think the Blue Jays are smiling at having just gotten rid of Jose Reyes’ contract. Chortling maybe. Under their breaths.

What has he done? 

That is the question Jays’ executives have asked for a long time. Injuries set him back but that’s not all.

Sure, the Jays acquired Troy Tulowitzki in return in the Reyes’ blockbuster and his salary is quite astronomical but Reyes has just not performed up to his perennial standards on offence. Even his defensive skills have deteriorated. He doesn’t move around as quickly and he has trouble just picking up grounders.

Look at Reyes’  output of triples since he arrived in Toronto following the blockbuster trade with the Florida Marlins. If the inside-the-park home run is the most majestic of all baseball plays, then the triple is No. 2 and Reyes fashioned this in chic style for many seasons.

Beginning with the New York Mets, Reyes turned the three-bagger into an art form which seems to be dying a slow death. In 2005, Reyes turned the jets on and tripled 17 times to start a trend. The following season, he also amassed 17 triples. Then there was a career high of 19 in 2008. In other years, the double-digit figures went like this: 12, 10, 16 and 12 in his only season with the Miami Marlins.

But in 2 1/2 seasons with the Jays, he went south, very south, in the triples department.  He posted zero in 382 at-bats in 2013, four in a full season of 610 at-bats in 2014 and this season, zero in 288 at-bats. Ouch. 

So four triples in close to 1,300 AB with Toronto.

The Blue Jays saw what he was doing on offence with the Mets and Marlins and figured he was worth including in the blockbuster but he was not a star here. Give the Jays a thumbs-up for giving Reyes a long look. But they are glad he’s gone. They got rid of an almost untradeable contract.