Jose Iglesias’ Message to J.D. Martinez After Taking Mets Front Office Job

J.D. Martinez received a message from his beloved former teammate upon joining New York's front office.

Oct 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second base Jose Iglesias (11) reacts during players introductions before game three of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This past week, the New York Mets reunited with a familiar face by hiring former designated hitter J.D. Martinez as a special advisor to baseball operations.

While his numbers on the field weren't particularly impressive, Martinez was a clubhouse leader during his lone season in Flushing and forged a strong bond with his teammates. That lively clubhouse atmosphere allowed the Mets to capture lightning in a bottle and make a deep playoff run after a slow start to the year.

When speaking with the media on Wednesday, Martinez revealed that multiple teams had reached out to him for his services. But a strong relationship with key Mets figures like Steve Cohen and David Stearns prompted the 38-year-old to return to the Mets, having been in touch with the organization even after his tenure as a player concluded.

J.D. Martinez has been in constant communication with the Mets following his time with the team

He had offers from other teams around baseball, but chose to join the Mets organization pic.twitter.com/hcV2YbqG9C

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 8, 2026

Naturally, this led to a former teammate - one of the most beloved role players in the Mets' recent history - reaching out to congratulate Martinez on his new job.

Jose Iglesias Congratulates J.D. Martinez with Unforgettable Three-Letter Response

During the same media session, Martinez was asked about how often he talked to former teammate Jose Iglesias. Hearing that name immediately brought a smile to Martinez's face, who then revealed a text message he received from Iglesias shortly after word came out about his front office role.

"He actually texted me the other day. Sent me a screenshot of it and sent 'OMG', of course," Martinez said as he and the rest of the room chuckled.

Jose Iglesias sent J.D. Martinez a text when he saw that Martinez had joined the Mets organization

The text: "OMG" pic.twitter.com/rbWx5Aa5Xq

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) April 8, 2026

Those three letters, of course, are symbolic of the Mets' 2024 season that ended with a trip to the NLCS. Iglesias, who was called up from the minor leagues that year as infield depth, not only energized the team with his play, but captivated his teammates and New York's fanbase with his Latin pop hit "OMG" under the alias Candelita. The song has since reached anthem status and will forever be associated with that Mets team.

Even before both players joined the Mets in 2024, Martinez and Iglesias were teammates on the Detroit Tigers from 2014 to 2017 and briefly with the Boston Red Sox in 2021.

After sharing a laugh with the media room over Iglesias' response, Martinez revealed that he still keeps in touch with the crowd favorite.

"Yeah, I've talked to him. We'll shoot a text like every other month, once like every three to four weeks," Martinez said. "He's a good guy, good friend down there. He's kinda going through right now where he doesn't know what he wants to do and things like that."

Iglesias spent the 2025 season with the San Diego Padres and is currently a free agent at age 36. Like Martinez, he has not formally retired as a player yet.

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