Jose Iglesias Gives Post-Game Performance of “OMG” at New York City’s Citi Field

Jose Iglesias is putting down his glove and picking up the mic…

The 34-year-old Cuban-American professional baseball player for the New York Mets, backed by his teammates, performed his OMG song Friday night on the field after the Mets beat the Houston Astros.

Jose Iglesias Iglesias’s song has been playing at Citi Field after each Mets home run and in the clubhouse, but has previously not been commercially available.

That changed Friday, when the song was finally released to streaming platforms.

Iglesias shouted “New York City! Let’s keep the party gooooooing!” as he took the field after the game.

He was accompanied by dancers, and then the Mets team took the field, raising their arms at the chorus.

Iglesias the ballplayer has provided a spark to the Mets after being called up from the minors.

The team is surging after a slow start, and is now over .500 for the first time since early in the season.

Jorge Lopez Agrees to One-Year, $2 Million Contract with New York Mets

Jorge Lopez has Mets an offer he can’t refuse…

The 30-year-oldPuerto Rican professional baseball pitcher has agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with the New York Mets.

Jorge LopezLopez’s hiring adds another reliever to a team that has spent the past week bolstering its organization depth.

Lopez struggled with three teams this year after a career-best 2022 in which he looked the part of a front-line reliever.

With a velocity bump from his move from the rotation to the bullpen, Lopez rode a 98 mph fastball and heavy curveball to a 2.54 ERA. The regression he showed after his midseason trade from the Baltimore Orioles to Minnesota Twins continued into 2023, when the Twins traded him to the Miami Marlins and he later went back to the Orioles without similar success.

Lopez nevertheless remained strong, and the Mets are hopeful he can return to form after posting a 5.95 ERA in 59 innings in 2023 with the three teams. New York, under new president of baseball operations David Stearns, in the past week claimed a pair of catchers (Cooper Hummel, Tyler Heineman) off waivers, signed two pitchers (Kyle Crick, Andre Scrubb) and an infielder (Jose Iglesias) to minor league deals, added another reliever (Michael Tonkin) on a split major league deal, and guaranteed $13 million to starter Luis Severino in hopes of a return to past excellence.

The Mets’ pitching depth going into the winter after a deeply disappointing 75-87 season called for significant additions, and Stearns is attempting to do what he did in Milwaukee, where often-overlooked relievers thrived and turned the Brewers’ bullpen into a weapon.

Lopez rejoins Mets closer Edwin Diaz, his teammate on Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, during which Diaz ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee celebrating a victory over the Dominican Republic. Diaz’s return deepens a bullpen with left-hander Brooks Raley the only other pitcher whose role is clearly defined.

Yuli Gurriel Agrees to Minor League Contract with Miami Marlins Organization

Yuli Gurriel has a new deal…

The 38-year-old Cuban professional baseball first baseman, nicknamed “La Piña,” and José Iglesias have agreed to minor league contracts with the Miami Marlins organization.

Yuli GurrielGurriel won the World Series with the Houston Astros last year after hitting .242 with 40 doubles, eight home runs and 53 RBIs. In the postseason, he had 17 hits with a pair of home runs to help the Astros win their second title in six seasons.

Gurriel adds infield depth, and the Marlins could look for him to provide offense for a team that ranked in the bottom three in runs and slugging in 2022.

Born in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Gurriel has a career .284 batting average.

It’s unclear where the Marlins could use Gurriel. Miami acquired 2022 American League batting champion Luis Arraez from the Minnesota Twins to play second base and moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. from second to center field.

Iglesias, 33, batted .292 last season with the Colorado Rockies and had a .981 fielding percentage as he made 116 starts at shortstop. Iglesias, who was born in La Habana, Cuba, has a .279 batting average. and .982 fielding percentage over 11 major league seasons with six teams.

Both players were to join the Marlins on Friday at their spring training facility. Miami opens the season March 30 at home against the New York Mets.

Miguel Cabrera Becomes First Venezuelan Baseball Player to Join MLB’s 3,000-Hit Club

Miguel Cabrera makes Venezuelan MLB History while joining a new elite club…

With a single against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, the 39-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player and Detroit Tigers designated hitter became the 33rd member of the 3,000-hit club and only the seventh player in major league history to achieve the milestone and hit 500 home runs.

Miguel CabreraHe got No. 3,000 in the first inning against pitcher Antonio Senzatela, a fellow Venezuelan, by grounding an opposite-field single to right field.

Cabrera immediately raised his right arm as he headed toward first base.

The crowd of 37,566 at Comerica Park gave him a rousing ovation and chanted “Miggy! Miggy!” while fireworks were shot out of the scoreboard. Rockies shortstop Jose Iglesias, who played with Cabrera on the Tigers team, came over to give his former teammate a big hug.

By then, all the Tigers were streaming from the dugout to greet the newest member of baseball’s elite 3,000-hit club. Moments later, Cabrera went behind home plate to embrace his mother, wife, son and daughter on the field.

“Special numbers,” Cabrera said after the game. “It’s like something crazy you can’t describe. To be in this position, I always say thank God for giving me this opportunity.”

Cabrera soon returned to first base but didn’t stay there long. He scored on a three-run homer by 22-year-old rookie Spencer Torkelson, who has taken over as the Tigers’ regular first baseman with Cabrera in the role of designated hitter.

When the inning ended, the scoreboard flashed “Congratulations Miggy” and Cabrera emerged from the dugout to wave to fans who had been rewarded with the highlight they came to see.

“It brings a lot of memories from the first time I was here in Detroit,” Cabrera said of the crowd. “I remember we always had 35,000, 40,000 people every night. It was good to see the fans come back to the stadium like that. It was very emotional. I know what the fans mean to our games and to our team because they support us a lot. I really happy to see all the fans.”

Cabrera added a two-run single in the sixth inning before being replaced by pinch runner Eric Haase. The Tigers went on to win 13-0. Cabrera said it meant “a lot” for him to reach the milestone in a win.

“Because I always say, if we’re winning, I know the results are going to be good,” he said. “We did it today, I’m pretty happy.

After reaching 2,999 hits Wednesday, Cabrera was 0-for-3 on Thursday against the New York Yankees. He was intentionally walked in the eighth inning, his fourth and final plate appearance of the game. Cabrera’s pursuit of history was delayed Friday, as the Tigers’ scheduled series opener against the Rockies was rained out, made up as part of a Saturday doubleheader.

Cabrera is the first Venezuelan-born player and seventh Latino to reach the 3,000-hit mark, a list that includes Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Rod Carew as well as Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Adrian Beltre and Albert Pujols. Luis Aparicio, the only Venezuelan-born player in the Hall of Fame, had 2,677 career hits.

“When you’re going through it, you’ve got to kind of try to appreciate it because his impact is so big across this organization and across so many players, that we just got to sit back and soak it up,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “And I think for him as a person, as a player who’s gone through ups, downs, everywhere in between. This is certainly a highlight.”

Cabrera, who won the Triple Crown and the first of back-to-back MVP awards in 2012, became the 28th member of the 500-home run club in August. Only six other players have 3,000 hits and 500 homers: Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Palmeiro, Pujols, Rodriguez and Eddie Murray.

Cabrera’s Triple Crown win in 2012, having led the American League in batting average, home runs and RBIs, was the first in 45 years. The 11-time MLB All-Star has won four batting titles in his career.

Cabrera was 20 years old when he made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Miami Marlins in 2003. He helped them win the World Series that year.

The Tigers acquired Cabrera in a 2007 trade, with Dontrelle Willis also going to Detroit in a deal for Andrew Miller and Cameron Maybin. Cabrera had 842 hits at the time.

He is the third player to get his 3,000th hit while with Detroit, joining Ty Cobb and Al Kaline.

Freddy Galvis Signs One-Year Contract with Baltimore Orioles

Freddy Galvis is ready to play ball in the Charm City.

The 31-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball shortstop has agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles, helping the team fill a hole in their infield.

Freddy Galvis

Galvis broke into the big leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012 and spent the past two years with Cincinnati Reds.

He hit .220 with seven homers and 16 RBIs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Galvis is expected to take over as Baltimore’s shortstop from Jose Iglesias, who was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in December. Galvis played 33 games at shortstop last season and 16 at second base.

He would receive a $250,000 assignment bonus the first time he’s traded.

Galvis had a $5.5 million salary last season — the option year of his previous contract, which wound up as $2,037,037 prorated during the shortened season.

Galvis has a .247 career batting average with 95 home runs and 386 RBIs. A journeyman who is headed to his fifth big league team, Galvis started with the Phillies, made a one-year stop with the San Diego Padres in 2018 and played with the Toronto Blue Jays before joining Cincinnati during the 2019 season.

His best season offensively was in 2019, when he hit 23 homers with 70 RBIs.

Baltimore signed him primarily for his ability to deftly play in the middle of the infield. He has a .984 fielding percentage as a shortstop over 801 games.

Raisel Iglesias Acquired by the Los Angeles Angels

Raisel Iglesias will be seeing angels next season…

The 30-year-old Cuban professional baseball pitcher, a closer for the Cincinnati Reds, has been acquired by the Los Angeles Angels.

Raisel Iglesias

The team acquired Iglesias in exchange for right-handed reliever Noe Ramirez and a player to be named later or cash considerations on Monday, the first day of the virtual winter meetings.

 

Iglesias saved 92 games from 2017 to 2019, but had arguably his best season in 2020, posting a 2.74 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP while striking out 31 batters and walking only five in 23 innings.

Iglesias, a right-hander, throws his four-seam fastball in the upper-90s and also mixes in a slider and a changeup. He’s the second acquisition made by new Angels general manager Perry Minasian, coming over five days after the team acquired another native Cuban, shortstop Jose Iglesias, from the Baltimore Orioles. That day, the Angels also non-tendered five relievers, including former closer Hansel Robles.

 

Raisel Iglesias and Jose Iglesias are not related but were born one day apart. They were teammates with the Reds in 2019.

Raisel Iglesias will make $9.125 million in the final season of his three-year, $24.125 million contract, but the Angels are also receiving unspecified cash considerations in the trade. By dealing Iglesias and non-tendering Archie BradleyBrian Goodwin and Curt Casali, among others, the Reds have saved nearly $20 million in salary commitments for 2021.

Reds general manager Nick Krall told reporters the team is trying to “reallocate resources” to address its pitching depth and find a starting shortstop.

Martinez Agrees to Two-Year $18.5 Million Deal with the Detroit Tigers

J.D. Martinez isn’t leaving Detroit anytime soon…

The 28-year-old Cuban American outfielder and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth $18.5 million pending a physical, according to ESPN.com.

J.D. Martinez

The new contract, which will pay the MLB All-Star player $6.75 million in 2016 and $11.75 million in 2017, allows Martinez and the Tigers to avoid salary arbitration, which was slated to take place later this month.

When the two sides exchanged salary figures the past month, they found themselves with a significant gap to bridge, with Martinez’s camp reportedly submitting an annual average value of $8 million and the team an AAV of $6 million. The deal reached Monday evening comes in with an AAV of $9.25 million.

Martinez becomes the fourth and final arbitration-eligible player to reach a deal with Detroit this offseason. The Tigers also signed Justin WilsonJose Iglesias and Andrew Romine.

Martinez, who won the Silver Slugger Award in 2015, is coming off a sensational 2015 season in which he led the team with 38 home runs and batted .282. Martinez finished the season with 102 RBIs, 93 runs, 168 hits, 33 doubles and two triples.