MLB

Marlins owner: I never told Reyes to buy a house in Miami

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria denies charges that he told Jose Reyes to buy a house just two days before the shortstop was traded to Toronto. In fact, Loria didn’t tell him anything all.

“What you were told is inaccurate. I never told him to buy a house,” Loria told reporters on Monday, speaking for the first time since the November firesale, which also included Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson. “He was looking for a house. I will tell you that he came to an ALS dinner which I invited him to. He sat two people away from me. He came late. I asked him what he was doing in the next week. He told me he was going to Dubai. I said. ‘Has your wife been down to Miami? He said, ‘Yes she has gone down. She is looking for a home.’ I didn’t say anything after that.”

Reyes recently stated that Loria had encouraged him to settle down, after finishing his first season of a six-year $106 million deal, hitting .287 with 11 home runs and 40 stolen bases. The injury-plagued player appeared in 160 games after nine seasons with the Mets.

“He was talking still about getting a nice house in Miami,’’ the 29-year-old shortstop said when he arrived at Blue Jays camp. “That was kind of crazy, how do you want me to spend my money in Miami when I have my house in New York and you are going to trade me in two days?

“Then I went on vacation with my wife and I found out I was trade. I thought people were joking but when I called my agent he said yes I was traded … I was shocked.’’

Loria said he shouldn’t have been so surprised.

“Three or four days after [the dinner], [President of Baseball Operations] Larry [Beinfest] came to me with the trade he wanted to do. I immediately called Jose’s agent out of respect for him and said Jose is going to be traded and I want you to call him before he reads about. He hasn’t bought a house yet has he? ‘No, he is contemplating.’ Just call him and let him know,” Loria said.