Jose Iglesias Signs Minor League Deal with San Diego Padres as Mets and Yankees Continue Infield Search

In a surprising move, veteran shortstop Jose Iglesias has signed a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres, leaving both the New York Mets and New York Yankees still in search of infield help. Iglesias, who enjoyed a productive stint with the Mets in 2024, will join the Padres’ spring training roster, with a chance to earn a spot on their major league team. The deal includes a $3 million base salary for the 2025 season, with potential incentives pushing the total to $4 million, according to reports by MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Jack Magruder.

For both New York teams, the signing of Iglesias represents a missed opportunity to bolster their infield depth. The Mets, who lost newly acquired shortstop Nick Madrigal to a shoulder fracture in February, had been looking for a seasoned middle infielder. Iglesias, who posted an impressive .830 OPS in 85 games with the Mets last season, would have been a natural fit. Iglesias also made a cultural impact off the field in New York, scoring a No. 1 hit on the Latin Billboard charts with his song “OMG,” which quickly became the team’s unofficial anthem during their deep postseason run.

Despite Iglesias’ successful 2024 campaign in Queens, the Mets opted not to re-sign the 35-year-old veteran. Instead, they are continuing to search for a solution to fill the gap left by Madrigal’s injury. With a fanbase that likely would have welcomed Iglesias back, the Mets now face the reality of their infield void as spring training progresses.

Similarly, the Yankees have struggled with their infield situation after losing second baseman Gleyber Torres to free agency and enduring multiple spring training injuries. Most notably, third baseman D.J. LeMahieu has been sidelined by a calf injury, further complicating the Yankees’ infield outlook. Despite Iglesias’ solid track record over the past five seasons—his offensive numbers have consistently exceeded those of LeMahieu—New York passed on the opportunity to bring in the experienced shortstop.

Instead, Iglesias will head to San Diego, where he will compete for a roster spot with the Padres, who finished second in the NL West to the Los Angeles Dodgers in three of the last five seasons. His decision to sign with the Padres, a team with an already deep roster, marks a shift away from the New York teams, leaving both the Mets and Yankees still scrambling to fill their infield needs as the season approaches.

Iglesias had earlier expressed hope of returning to New York, telling the Mets’ SNY network, “It’s not over until I sign with someone else.” Now that he has signed with the Padres, the Mets and Yankees will have to look elsewhere as they continue to search for infield solutions ahead of the 2025 season.