José Iglesias (baseball)

While in Cuba, Iglesias played with the Habana, from the Cuban National Series. With pitcher Noel Argüelles, Iglesias defected from the Cuban junior national team while in Canada in July 2008.[1] Iglesias signed as an international amateur free agent with the Boston Red Sox in September 2009.[2] Prior to the 2011 season, Iglesias was the sole Red Sox prospect on the MLB.com annual list of top 50 baseball prospects, where he was ranked 42nd.[3]

In March 2011, Iglesias was optioned to the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. Iglesias was called up by the Red Sox and made his major league debut on May 8, 2011 as a defensive substitute for Jed Lowrie in the ninth inning of a 9–5 win over the Minnesota Twins. In the next game, he represented the game-winning run, scoring from first base on a Carl Crawford double in the 11th inning.[4] On May 11, 2011, Iglesias made his first MLB start due to Jed Lowrie being sick.[5]

Iglesias playing for the Boston Red Sox in 2012

Iglesias started the 2012 season in Pawtucket. He was called up to Boston May 1 after an ailing back sidelined Kevin Youkilis,[6] but he did not appear in a game before being sent back down to Triple-A. Iglesias also appeared late in the 2012 season to back up Mike Avilés, and hit his first career home run during this stretch.

Entering 2013, Iglesias was ranked as the 10th best prospect in the Red Sox organization,[7] and 96th on the MLB.com Top 100 Prospects list.[8] He started the season in Boston, going 9-for-20 with two doubles and one RBI in six games, but was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket after Stephen Drew was activated on April 10. He was recalled by the Red Sox on May 24 when third baseman Will Middlebrooks was placed on the DL. Iglesias excelled while splitting time between shortstop and third base, remaining in the starting lineup even after Middlebrooks returned from the DL. Despite being known primarily for his defense, Iglesias batted .420 for a stretch of over 100 at-bats after being recalled, including an 18-game hitting streak that was broken on June 19 against the Tampa Bay Rays. For his efforts, he was named the American League Rookie of the Month for June. Iglesias started the 2013 season playing 63 games with a .330 batting average, a home run, and 19 RBIs while with Boston.

On July 30, Iglesias was traded to the Detroit Tigers in a three-team deal that sent Jake Peavy and Brayan Villarreal to the Boston Red Sox and Avisail García and Francellis Montas to the Chicago White Sox.[9] Iglesias chose jersey No. 1, making him the first Tigers player to wear it since Lou Whitaker retired in 1995.[10]

Iglesias drove in a run with a single in his very first game as a Tiger, on August 2, helping Detroit to a 2–1 win over the White Sox.[11] The next night, he hit his first home run as a Tiger, a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning.[12] Following the 50-game suspension given to Tigers starting shortstop Jhonny Peralta on August 5 for his connections to the South Florida Biogenesis clinic, Iglesias was named the Tigers new everyday shortstop.[13]

For the rest of the 2013 season with the Tigers, Iglesias batted .259 with 2 home runs, and 10 RBIs in 46 games. Overall in 2013, Iglesias hit .303 with 3 home runs and 29 RBIs in 109 games combined with both the Red Sox and Tigers. On the field, he committed 6 errors in 357 chances.

Regardless of his trade after the All-Star Break, Iglesias was part of the Tigers 25-man active roster for their postseason run. During the postseason, Iglesias batted .231 with an RBI.

Iglesias was named the 2013 Detroit Tigers/Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association Rookie of the Year. Iglesias finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2013, being edged out by Wil Myers.[14]

On January 8, Iglesias and the Tigers agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $1.65 million. Although Iglesias is under team control through 2018, his 2014 salary had yet to be determined after the contract he signed with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent expired.[15] Iglesias missed the entire 2014 season due to stress fractures in both of his shins.[16]

On July 6, Iglesias was named as a reserve for the American League at the 2015 All-Star Game.[17] On September 5, it was announced that Iglesias suffered a non-displaced small fracture in his right middle finger at the PIP joint after being hit on the hand by a pitch, and the team announced he would be out for at least two weeks.[18] With the Tigers later falling out of the AL Central race, the team elected to not activate him from the DL for the remainder of the season. During the 2015 season, Iglesias posted a .300 batting average in 416 at-bats, with 17 doubles, two home runs and 23 RBIs.

On January 15, 2016, the Tigers avoided arbitration with Iglesias, agreeing on a one-year, $2.1 million contract.[19] Iglesias made one trip to the disabled list in 2016, after suffering a left hamstring strain in August,[20] but still reached career highs with 137 games, 467 at-bats and 26 doubles, and had the lowest strikeout percentage of all major league baseball players (9.7%), as he also had the highest contact percentage on his swings in the major leagues (91.2%).[21][22] He finished the season with a .255 batting average, 4 home runs and 32 RBI.

Following the season, Iglesias was named a Gold Glove Award finalist for shortstop, along with Francisco Lindor and Andrelton Simmons. With just five errors in 574 chances, he posted an AL-best .991 fielding percentage. His 11.6 ultimate zone rating (UZR) ranked third among AL shortstops.[23]

On January 13, 2017, the Tigers avoided arbitration with Iglesias, agreeing on a one-year, $4.1 million contract.[24] Iglesias batted .255 during the 2017 season. Despite appearing in just 130 games due to injuries, he set career highs in doubles (33), home runs (6) and RBI (54).

On January 17, 2018, the Tigers avoided arbitration with Iglesias, agreeing on a one-year, $6.275 million contract.[25] Iglesias batted .269 during the 2018 season after appearing in 125 games, and stole a career-high 15 bases. He was transferred to the 60-day disabled list on September 14 with a lower abdominal strain, effectively ending his season.[26]

On February 23, 2019, Iglesias signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds that included an invitation to spring training. The one-year contract included a guaranteed $2.5 million salary with up to $1 million in additional incentives.[27] Expected to back up starting second baseman Scooter Gennett, Iglesias became a starter for the Reds when Gennett was injured late in spring training.[28]

In 2019 he batted .288/.318/.407, while reaching career highs in home runs (11) and RBI (59). He made contact with the highest percentage of pitches he swung at outside the strike zone (82.6%) of all National Leaguers.[29]

On January 7, 2020, Iglesias signed with the Baltimore Orioles on a one-year deal worth $3 million. The deal includes a club option for 2021 at an additional $3 million.[30]

On July 24, 2020, Iglesias was the starting shortstop, making his Orioles debut on Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox. He slashed .373/.400/.556 with 17 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBI in 39 games despite lower-body injuries limiting him to 22 defensive starts in 2020.[31]

One month after the Orioles had exercised his $3.5 million club option on November 1,[32] Iglesias was traded to the Los Angeles Angels for minor-league right-handed pitchers Garrett Stallings and Jean Pinto on December 2, 2020.[31]