5 potential landing spots for Jose Reyes

For contending teams eager to bolster their middle infield, an extremely expensive player is about to hit the market at a bargain basement price.

The Colorado Rockies designated four-time All-Star Jose Reyes for assignment Wednesday, and will now have 10 days to either trade, release, or send the embattled shortstop to the minors.

Sizing up Reyes' market is no easy task, especially in the aftermath of his 51-game suspension for a domestic violence incident involving his wife.

The 33-year-old is coming off two of the worst offensive seasons of his career, while his run game and defensive abilities continue to show signs of decline. Disclaimers notwithstanding, Reyes, who's owed roughly $40 million from the Rockies, remains an established veteran with pop at a hard-to-find position, and will only cost teams a prorated share of the MLB minimum salary ($507,500). With that in mind, here are at least five teams who could take a flier:

White Sox

General manager Rick Hahn will stop at nothing to make the White Sox a contender, evidenced by acquiring high-priced pitcher James Shields and cutting ties with veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins. The latter appears to have opened up a space for top prospect Tim Anderson, though it's obvious the White Sox don't have the patience this season for incremental development. Reyes' defense probably plays better at second base at this point in his career, but we're talking about a team that's producing a .630 OPS out of the shortstop position, and is desperate to return some success on their aggressive investments from the last couple years.

Diamondbacks

The D-Backs are another team that's pushed most, if not all, of its chips into the World Series pot, and like the White Sox, they're running out of assets to buy back in. Arizona's starting shortstop Nick Ahmed has been woefully ineffective at the plate this season, having hovered around the Mendoza line for the better part of the campaign, while creating less than half the run production of the average major-league shortstop.

Royals

In keeping with the theme of wannabe contenders looking for a cheap fix (because what last-place team wants Reyes' bad press to spill into its clubhouse?), the injury-ridden Royals have received marginal production from both middle infield positions. On Wednesday, the club DFA'd second baseman Omar Infante, in part because he's been awful the last two seasons, but another factor's been the emergence of 27-year-old rookie Whit Merrifield. The defending champs are likely wary of Merrifield maintaining his .505 slugging percentage, so some insurance there certainly wouldn't hurt. Nor would it be the worst idea to light a fire under Alcides Escobar, whose 10 steals and sure-handed glove won't make up for his plummeting OBP and next-to-nothing pop.

Nationals

Moving our way up the standings, Dusty Baker's Nationals are an intriguing option for Reyes. Baker likes managing personalities, and the shortstop position has been a revolving door for the NL East leaders. Trea Turner's promotion was short-lived, Danny Espinosa has been losing his grip on the starting job, and Stephen Drew's recent success is probably fleeting. The Nationals were said to be targeting Aroldis Chapman before his domestic case soured their interest, so it's unclear if GM Mike Rizzo would be open to that baggage. Either way, Reyes would be an offensive upgrade on both incumbents, not to mention his switch-hitting abilities could help consolidate some of the roster fat up the middle.

Mystery team

Trying to pick a landing spot for a player with diminished skills and who's coming off a domestic violence suspension is an exercise in futility, which means Reyes will likely end up at a place the baseball world least expects. The Rays, Athletics, Angels, Mariners, and even Orioles could emerge as suitors for Reyes, given their question marks up the middle and reluctance to spend on a player who might be a better fit. One team you can count out is the Mets, who are reportedly not keen on a reunion with the speedy Dominican. Let the guessing games begin.