Mets have released former Red Sox fan favorite after surprise trade in September

Monday was a busy day for the New York Mets' transaction log, and the Boston Red Sox had their fingerprints all over it.

First, the Red Sox made a rare trade in September, sending 34-year-old minor league rookie Eddy Alvarez to New York for a cash deal. After playing 114 games in Triple-A for Boston this season, Alvarez will now get another chance in the major leagues.

However, to make room for Alvarez on the active roster, the Mets had to create a 40-man roster spot. And they did it by letting go of a player that many Red Sox fans will always have a soft spot for.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets have called up all-around infielder Pablo Reyes in exchange for calling up Alvarez. Reyes, 30, played 85 games for the Red Sox between 2023 and 2024.

Last season, Reyes was one of the few bright spots on a Red Sox team that ultimately finished in last place. He was an afterthought, brought in from the Oakland Athletics' scrappy minor league roster, but he contributed big things for Boston in several key situations, including a memorable walk-off grand slam.

However, after a terrible start to his 2024 season, Reyes was released by the Red Sox in late April. The Mets picked him up and he spent most of that season at Triple-A Syracuse before New York picked him up when rosters expanded.

Reyes' tenure with the Mets will be an interesting trivia if he never returns to the major leagues in New York. He appeared in just one game, not even getting a bat, but he did manage to score a run as a pinch-runner in a 2-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 1.

Now Reyes finds himself in the all-too-familiar position of keeping his big-league dreams alive. But no matter what happens, those memories of 2023 with the Red Sox will always be a highlight.

More MLB: Is the young Red Sox slugger's reduced playing time a cause for concern in the long term?