After leaving the Mets for free agency, Reyes continued to make his offseason home on Long Island. He had lived in Manhasset, New York with his wife, Katherine, and then moved to Old Brookville. Reyes was a close friend to former right-handed pitcher José Lima. When Lima died May 23, 2010, Reyes said, "He's the funniest guy you could ever meet, he always smiled, he was always happy. It was good to know him. It's a real tough day...I've known him a long time. People in the Dominican Republic love the guy a lot, so it's a very tough day not only for the Dominican people, but for everyone because of the guy that he was."