Jose Iglesias Chooses His Free Agent Destination

 

One of the final remaining major league veteran free agents has decided on his fate for the coming season. 11-year shortstop Jose Iglesias has agreed to a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins. 

Along with Yuli Gurriel, Marlins have also signed José Iglesias to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, source tells me and @Ken_Rosenthal

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) March 10, 2023

Iglesias also gets a non-roster invite to the Marlins' major league camp. 

The 33-year-old was an All-Star in 2015, and was known for his defensive prowess earlier in his career. But his metrics have slipped recently, and in 2022 with the Colorado Rockies, he finished as the 19th-ranked shortstop with a minus-4 Defensive Runs Saved, and 17th in Outs Above Average at 0. 

But, as might be expected in the thin air of Coors Field, Iglesias' offense was passable, as he registered a .292 average. He's a career .279 hitter, but without much substance behind it, as his lifetime OPS+ is just 88, which makes him 12% worse than the average major league hitter.

The signing continues a trend this offseason for the Marlins, of finding otherwise-forgotten, reasonably-priced contact hitters to add to their lineup (though Iglesias isn't guaranteed a roster spot just yet.)

Thursday was a particularly busy day for general manager Kim Ng, who also inked free agent first baseman Yuli Gurriel to a deal.  

Photo: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports