Radio broadcaster Jerry Howarth believes the decline of Jose Reyes has put the Toronto Blue Jays in a difficult situation and says there are players on the club who can do a better job at shortstop.
“Shortstop is such a critical position on the field. Right now it’s the weakest position the Blue Jays have, unfortunately,” said Howarth, who was a guest on Tuesday morning’s Dean Blundell & Co. on Sportsnet 590 The FAN.
Jerry Howarth on Dean Blundell
Reyes has been limited to 22 games this season and spent time on the disabled list with a cracked rib and oblique strain. He’s been criticized for some costly base-running and defensive errors in recent days.
Howarth also alluded to the impressive defensive play of Ryan Goins, who filled in at shortstop during Reyes’s absence.
“Now you have everything in front of you,” Howarth said. “It’s black and white, it’s very clear who can play and who can’t.”
“The problem is when you have other people who can play better than the person at that position, but they are unable to, due to circumstances,” he added. “I understand that, (but) that’s a tough situation for the organization.”
The longtime broadcaster was also critical of Reyes’s cheery attitude on the field, saying he sports “too many smiles when he’s in decline and making mistakes and hurting his team.”
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