Mets’ Decision to Let Perfect Fit Walk Comes Under Fire

The New York Mets are reportedly looking for something they already had but let get away. 

In an article on Monday for the New York Post, Joel Sherman indicated that the Mets have delayed announcing their roster for opening day, “in part, because they are open to adding a righty infield bat.” As noted by Tyler Ward, host of the WardyNYM podcast, the perfect person to fill that need was on the Mets roster last season, but the team opted to let him walk. 

“There’s one thing that grinds my gears about this far more than anything else,” Ward said. “It’s the fact that Jose Iglesias was right there.” 

Jose Iglesias Signed Minor League Contract With San Diego

A .283 career hitter, the 35-year-old Iglesias batted .337 in 270 at-bats for the Mets in 2024. However, New York decided to pass on bringing him back, and instead, Iglesias would sign a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres worth $3 million if he made the Major League roster, which he reportedly has. 

“I understand that maybe you didn’t want to go back with Jose Iglesias because … the Mets want to give the keys to the kids this year when the opportunity presents itself,” Ward said. “But the problem now is that after [Jeff] McNeil goes down with injury, all these things happen obviously, and right then and there, you’re saying to yourself, ‘Wow it would have made a lot of sense to bring back Jose Iglesias.’”  

Among the options the Mets have behind McNeil, Nick Madrigal is also out with an injury, likely for the entire season. The team had been considering a platoon of Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña, but Sherman’s report suggested that any right-handed infielder the Mets might add “almost certainly would lead to Luisangel Acuña being sent to Triple-A.” 

“If the Mets do not add anyone, you could still expect Acuña to begin the year on the Mets roster,” Ward said. “So the Mets aren’t completely opposed to Acuña beginning the year on the team, but they’re trying to almost avoid it right now, even if that means acquiring a player that got no spring reps with them whatsoever. That they’re looking to acquire [someone] last minute to begin the year, that tells you a lot, in my opinion. That tells you enough that clearly there’s a lack of comfortability with Acuña.” 

Mets ‘Shot Themselves in the Foot’ by Letting Jose Iglesias Walk

Additionally, Ward stressed that looking around at who might be available, there aren’t really any good options. Certainly no one who would have fit the need quite like Iglesias. 

“I think they shot themselves in the foot to a degree when it comes to that,” Ward said. 

“There is no veteran infielder that profiled better than Jose Iglesias for this Mets team. There’s no one that was more selfless, that would have been a perfect [mentor for] Acuña, Jett Williams, Ronnie Mauricio, Brett Baty, everyone in their mother in the infield that would have had a fantastic bond I’m sure with Jose Iglesias, but instead they don’t go down that route.” 

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