Infielder Jose Iglesias agreed to a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres, a person familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal with the “OMG”-singing shortstop hadn't been announced. The 35-year-old Iglesias would make $3 million while in the major leagues if added to the Padres' 40-man roster and would have the chance to earn another $1 million in performance bonuses.
Iglesias helped spark the New York Mets to the playoffs last season, when he hit .337 with four homers and 26 RBIs in 118 games last season. After not playing in a big league game in 2023, he was called up by the Mets at the end of May after initially joining them on a minor league deal.
In addition to his performance on the field, the largely Spanish-language song “OMG” that he wrote and sang became an anthem for the Mets' unlikely playoff run. Players and fans would hoist blue-and-orange OMG signs to celebrate big moments, and the team donated one of those signs to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Iglesias is a .283 career hitter in 1,181 games since 2011 with seven teams — Boston, Detroit, Cincinnati, Baltimore, the Los Angeles Angeles, Colorado and the Mets. He finished second in the AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Tampa Bay's Wil Myers in 2013, and was an All-Star with the Tigers in 2015.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
