Veteran shortstop Jose Iglesias is a free agent this MLB offseason.
The 31-year-old had an underwhelming showing with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021, but he wound up spending the final month of the season with the Boston Red Sox, and he played really well there.
José Iglesias putting the fly in @JetBlue's #FlyestPlays. pic.twitter.com/dHo5rCoXGp
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 28, 2021
As a result, he’ll likely land on his feet this winter.
Many Red Sox fans would like to see Iglesias back with the team next season, but if he ends up signing elsewhere, which teams might be interested?
Let’s speculate.
2. Minnesota Twins
Andrelton Simmons manned the shortstop position for the Minnesota Twins in 2021.
The results weren’t good, as he batted just .223 with an OPS of .558.
He was able to add some value defensively, but it wasn’t enough to negate the negative impact he made at the plate.
The 32-year-old is now a free agent.
Minnesota has some solid infield prospects, but they aren’t big-league ready yet.
For those reasons, the organization could use a short-term solution at shortstop.
The Twins have been pretty candid about the fact that they will likely add a player this offseason to address the hole.
“We have to be open-minded based on what the options are on the board, whether that’s through trade or free agency,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “I would suspect an additional player would be on our roster who has shortstop capability beyond what we have right now, whether that’s a starter or a guy that can mix in. We’re going to have to see how the next few months play out.”
Why not Iglesias?
During his time with the Red Sox in 2021, he batted .356 with a .915 OPS over 23 games.
A small sample size for sure, but it’s worth something.
He also showed some legitimate flashes of greatness during the pandemic-shortened season.
Over 39 games, he posted an insane batting average of .373 and complemented it with an OPS of .956.
Make of that what you want.
1. Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are in a somewhat similar situation to the one the Twins are in.
Colorado is almost certainly going to lose shortstop Trevor Story this offseason.
This free-agent class is loaded with superstar shortstops, but the Rockies aren’t likely to pursue one of the top-tier guys.
Instead, it seems like the best solution is to find a short-term fix.
A one-year deal for a guy like Iglesias would fill the hole at the shortstop position until a prospect like Ezequiel Tovar is ready to take over.
You never want to throw a prospect into the fire too soon, and since the Rockies aren’t likely to contend in 2022, there’s no need to rush a guy like Tovar.
Iglesias would probably do a fine job if the Rockies were to roll the dice on him.
Over 176 games since the start of the 2020 season, he has a .759 OPS and 105 OPS+.
José Iglesias tied this game up with a two-run home run.
Pretty darn good piece of hitting against a slider well below the zone. pic.twitter.com/JoQUJLqq6B
— Brent Maguire (@bmags94) July 3, 2021
He might not be the flashiest player around, but that’s very serviceable production.
Time will tell if Colorado ends up showing interest in the one-time All-Star.
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