Padres Predicted to Sign All-Star Utility Man, 2024 Hero in Free Agency

The San Diego Padres recently announced their intentions of starting Xander Bogaerts at shortstop and Jake Cronenworth at second base, but they don't have a true designated hitter or first baseman.

Enter New York Mets utility man Jose Iglesias.

Iglesias could be a good fit for the Padres and would slot in at second base, moving Cronenworth back to first and making Luis Arraez the true DH instead of first baseman.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently predicted something similar would happen.

"With Luis Arraez and Jake Cronenworth both capable of manning either spot on the right side of the infield, and Xander Bogaerts lining up at both middle infield spots, the Padres could go a lot of different routes with who they target," Reuter said.

"Veteran Jose Iglesias would give them a solid defender with elite contact skills who can serve as a second leadoff hitter out of the No. 9 spot in the order."

The only MLB players in the modern era (since 1901) to have a 13+ game hitting streak for six different teams:

Gary Sheffield (Brewers, Padres, Marlins, Dodgers, Braves, Yankees)

Jose Iglesias (Red Sox, Tigers, Reds, Orioles, Rockies, Mets)

That’s it. pic.twitter.com/6catex70kD
— Greg Harvey (@BetweenTheNums) September 20, 2024

Iglesias began the 2024 season in Triple-A and earned his way to the starting lineup in Queens. He became a postseason hero leading the Mets to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Over 85 games in New York last season, the 35-year-old infielder logged 291 plate appearances, hitting .337/.381/.448 with a 137 wRC+ and a 2.5 fWAR.

Iglesias also showcased his defensive versatility last season, recording solid metrics at multiple infield positions. He posted 1 DRS and 1 OAA at second base, 4 DRS and 2 OAA at third, and held his own at shortstop with -1 DRS and -1 OAA.

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Caleb Moody of Just Baseball also thinks he would be a good fit for the Padres.

"If Iglesias can look somewhat as promising as he did in 2024 next season, it would do wonders in bridging the gap in quality that San Diego faces between the top and bottom of the order," Moody wrote.

"The Padres have little to spend this winter," he added. "So a value add like Iglesias would be an excellent addition on both sides of the ball and would check a lot of boxes while not breaking the bank."

A 12-year major league veteran, Iglesias was an All-Star in 2015 with Detroit, when he batted .300 with two homers, 23 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.

Before signing with the Mets, Iglesias had a .279 career average with 47 homers and 366 RBIs for Boston (2011-13, 2021), Detroit (2013-18), Cincinnati (2019), Baltimore (2020), the Los Angeles Angels (2021) and Colorado.

He missed the 2014 season because of stress fractures in both shins.

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