Update: Jose Reyes has returned to the Mets for the first time since 2011 on a minor league contract.
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Jose Reyes could be returning to the Big Apple -- the place where his career began.
A reunion between Reyes and the Mets is not without its controversy, but it makes sense for both sides.
The shortstop understandably has his detractors after his domestic violence incident with his wife, which caused the MLB to suspend him for 52 games. Reyes may have had further legal troubles following the incident, but his wife didn't cooperate with authorities.
Despite the issues in his personal life, the Mets are closing in on a potential reunion with the shortstop. With David Wright (neck) dealing with injuries and Wilmer Flores being a less than stellar everyday option, New York doesn't have many better options than bringing back Reyes.
The Mets could trade for Danny Valencia or another third baseman, or wait to see how Cuban star Yulieski Gourriel's workout goes, but those options require either dealing pieces or spending a lot of money. Reyes is their cheapest option and since he owns a Long Island home and is desperate to keep his career alive, he needs the Mets just as much as they need him.
Reyes, 33, had a .292 batting average through nine years in New York, with 81 homers, 423 RBIs, 735 runs and 370 stolen bases.
Here are Reyes' five best moments from his time in the Empire State.
5) Batting Title
This would be higher, if it wasn't so controversial. Reyes won the NL batting title in 2011 in his final game as a Met by reaching on a bunt single and then sitting out the rest of the game. The shortstop finished with a league-leading .337 batting average.
4) Running Rampant
Reyes hit the final inside-the-park home run in Shea Stadium history in a September 2006 game against the Dodgers. After his hit bounced off the center field wall and eluded then-Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, Reyes whizzed around the bases for his first and only inside-the-park home run, driving in three runs in the process.
3) The Cycle
Reyes hit for the cycle in a June 2006 loss to the Reds in what was one of his most memorable moments as a Met. Reyes hit a lead-off homer in the bottom of the first, doubled in the bottom of the third, tripled in the bottom of the fifth and completed the feat with a single in the in the bottom of the eighth.
2) Stayin' Alive
With the Mets down 3-2 in the 2006 NLCS, Reyes set the tone for Game 6 at a raucous Shea Stadium. Reyes hit a lead-off homer off of Cardinals' pitcher Chris Carpenter, and went on to a 3-for-4 night as New York stayed alive to force a Game 7, where it ultimately lost. The 2006 postseason was Reyes' only playoff appearance to date.
1) NL East Champion
Reyes was part of a moment Mets' fans were waiting forever for as New York won the NL East for the first time since 1988 in 2006. The Mets defeated the Marlins on Sept. 19, 2006, going on to defeat the Dodgers in the NLCS as part of their memorable run.
