Reader Weigh-In: The Replacing Jose Reyes Edition

Apr 12, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes (7) steals second base in the sixth inning against Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) in the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY SportsFar away from the sanctity of the Rogers Centre, baseball continued for the Toronto Blue Jays. Unfortunately, the evening was indeed a bitter one for our wayward heroes.

On one hand, the bats came out and the team stormed to an 8-4 win over the Kansas City Royals, their first victory in a series opener on the season and their fourth overall. The Jays, who normally struggle with runners in scoring position, went 5 for 8 on the night in that situation, hitting five doubles and stealing a pair of bases in the process.

On the other hand, one of those stolen bases could likely cost the Blue Jays significantly.

In the top of the defining sixth inning, after capping the Jays scoring with a two-run single, Jose Reyes broke for second base and safely stole his fifth bag of the season. Unfortunately, an awkward slide by Reyes resulted in the shortstop rolling over his left ankle in the process and he was carted off the field, unable to walk off under his own power.

Reyes himself did not dispel the matter much, sending a cryptic tweet last night about the injury.

As the team awaits his MRI results on Saturday, Alex Anthopoulos has admitted that Toronto is already contacting other teams about alternatives. The general manager also made it known that a timetable for Reyes’s return would likely be between 1-3 months, depending on said MRI results.

That is probably a sound decision by the Blue Jays, who are already tested by the infield depth right now. The combination of Maicer Izturis and Emilio Bonifacio has been exposed as having too much playing time already with Brett Lawrie out, so having one of them play shortstop in the interim in underwhelming to say the least. Additionally, the minor league depth at the position is equally depressing, with the likes of Ryan Goins, Munenori Kawasaki, and Eugenio Velez waiting in the wings at Buffalo.

That leaves a lot to be desired. However, Anthopoulos has to weigh the fact that he does not want a long-term alternative, as Reyes is indeed the club’s shortstop through 2017. Nor does he want to pay through the teeth in his time of need.

That leads me to this weekend’s poll. Who should the Blue Jays target to replace Jose Reyes?