PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Jose Iglesias, the shortstop-turned-musician whose ¡°OMG¡± single became an anthem for the 2024 Mets, will always be remembered as a symbol of that team. But he¡¯s not likely to reprise his role in 2025.
President of baseball operations David Stearns confirmed on Wednesday what had been apparent for some time, that Iglesias is unlikely to return this season. Although Iglesias remains a free agent, the Mets want several of their younger players to compete for his old job as a backup infielder.
¡°I think where we are now for that role on our team, it¡¯s important for us to keep some avenues open for some of our younger players,¡± Stearns said. ¡°We think it¡¯s important for us to have some roster flexibility with that spot.¡±
Had Iglesias signed a big league deal to return to the Mets, their bench would have been full at the outset of camp, with no wiggle room for younger players like Luisangel Acu?a (2024 No. 12 prospect) or Brett Baty to compete for jobs. Other infielders in camp include Jared Young, Luis De Los Santos and Nick Madrigal, the latter of whom is a natural second baseman who¡¯s taking shortstop reps this spring. A late offseason signing, Madrigal is a prime contender for the Mets¡¯ final bench spot.
Acu?a is likewise a tempting consideration because he can play shortstop, but Mets officials may prefer to have the 22-year-old play every day in the Minors rather than sparingly in the Majors. If the Mets choose to go without a true backup shortstop, Baty or Young could entice them with a strong camp.
The Mets¡¯ Opening Day bench will likely consist of a catcher (Luis Torrens), two outfielders (Starling Marte and Jose Siri) and one infielder.
As for Iglesias, the future is uncertain. Coming off a season in which he hit .337/.381/.448 in 85 games for the Mets, Iglesias switched agents to Scott Boras at the start of the offseason but remains unemployed. Now 35 years old, Iglesias was in this situation as recently as 2023, when he sat out the second half of the season because he could not find a Major League deal.
A 12-year veteran of seven teams, Iglesias is a career .283 hitter with a .710 OPS.