Manfred Cannot Let Reyes Play in 2016

Well the NFL’s big problem has reared its ugly head again. Only this time it was Jose Reyes allegedly assaulting his wife in a Hawaii hotel room. Domestic Violence is now an issue MLB has to address. There is a policy in place now to handle these cases. No doubt it was in response to the NFL. Here’s the policy:

If you’re having trouble reading it, here’s what you need to know:

  1. An accused player can be placed on leave for seven days during the investigation;
  2. There is no maximum or minimum penalty;
  3. The only factor in punishment is the severity of the conduct;
  4. Punishment is not conditional on the adjudication of the crime in court; and 
  5. If the suspension holds up on appeal, player will not be paid or accrue service time. 

The main issue for Manfred is he’s about to set a precedent, a precedent everyone hoped would not have to be set. In any event, we’re here, and Manfred will have to deal with this issue. He has no choice but to come down hard on Reyes. 

The first reason is the Alex Rodriguez factor. Manfred’s first major suspension was to suspend A-Rod 211 games as part of the Biogenesis Scandal. The suspension would be reduced to 162 games on appeal. Manfred and MLB cannot maintain the appearance of being soft on destic violence but hard on steroids. A-Rod was made the poster boy for steroids, and MLB pursued him with avengeance. 

MLB cannot afford to look like they’re coming down harder on someone who used steroids than a player who assaults his wife. The only way to circumvent that is to go after Reyes with the same ferocity they came after A-Rod. 

Additionally, Manfred has to come down hard because he’s setting a precedent by which all future punishments will be judged. That was the whole issue with the Ray Rice suspension. Not only was four games way too light, but it also set a low threshold. As a result, Greg Hardy’s 10 game ban was reduced to four games. Whatever Reyes gets here will be the new standard. 

Ultimately, I’d suspend Reyes for the full 2016 season. There’s no other choice. Not after how MLB went after A-Rod. Think about it, in the grand scheme of things what’s worse: (1) taking PEDs to improve your on the field performance; or (2) assaulting your wife or child. 

If the number of games is reduced on appeal, it’s reduced. There’s nothing MLB can do about it. However, no matter what happens at that appeal, the message has been sent out there: MLB will not tolerate Domestic Violence. 

Unfortunately, that may be the only good that comes out of this. Suspend Reyes a full season. 

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